Earlier Middle English distinguished the close front rounded vowel (occurring in loanwords from Anglo-Norman like duke) and the diphthongs (occurring in words like new), (occurring in words like few)http://www.courses.fas.harvard.edu/~chaucer/pronunciation/, http://facweb.furman.edu/~wrogers/phonemes/phone/me/mvowel.htm and (occurring in words like dew).
