According to phonics terms, which of the following describes the underlined portion of the word "power"?

In the word "power," the underlined portion "ow" represents a diphthong. A diphthong is a complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel sound and glides into another within the same syllable. In this case, the "ow" in "power" produces a sound that combines the qualities of two vowel sounds, as you can hear the shift from an "ah" like sound to more of an "oo" sound.

This characteristic is what distinguishes diphthongs from other phonics terms. Blends, for instance, involve two or more consonants that are pronounced together but retain their individual sounds, such as "bl" or "st." A digraph consists of two letters that together create one sound, like "sh" or "ch." A trigraph is a similar concept but involves three letters producing one sound, such as "tch" in "watch." The unique quality of the "ow" in "power" as a single gliding vowel sound confirms its classification as a diphthong.