Correct option is C
Monophthongs are pure vowel sounds with a single, unchanging articulation. English has 12 distinct monophthongs, which are the foundational vowel sounds, such as "a" in "cat," "e" in "bed," and "oo" in "food." These are critical to pronunciation and form the basis of vowel phonetics in English.
Information Booster:
1. Monophthongs are stable vowel sounds, differing from diphthongs and triphthongs.
2. They include short vowels (e.g., /æ/, /ɪ/) and long vowels (e.g., /i:/, /u:/).
3. Monophthongs contribute to clarity in speech.
4. Variations exist between accents, like British Received Pronunciation and American English.
5. They are building blocks in phonetic transcription.