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    Pronunciation · diphthong

    The /eɪ/ sound: ay as in day

    In short

    /eɪ/ is a closing diphthong: glides from /e/ towards /ɪ/, the diphthong you hear in day, make, rain. Like every diphthong, the glide between two positions IS the sound. Below: exactly how to position your mouth, audio you can copy, the mistakes learners actually make, and drills to fix them.

    How to pronounce /eɪ/

    1. 1Start with the /e/ of 'bed'.
    2. 2Glide smoothly up and forward towards /ɪ/.
    3. 3Keep it one smooth movement: day, make, rain.

    Sounds like: the letter A said naturally

    /eɪ/ in words, with audio

    Listen, then copy. The slow (turtle) version exaggerates the mouth movement.

    • daydeɪ · sound is final
    • makemeɪk · sound is medial
    • rainreɪn · sound is medial
    • eighteɪt · sound is initial
    • theyðeɪ · sound is final
    • greatɡreɪt · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Flattening it to a pure long /eː/ so 'late' sounds like 'let' stretched out, common for Spanish, French, Japanese and many African-language speakers. The glide must be audible.

    Who struggles with this sound:

    • Hindi speakers: /eɪ/ flattens to a pure long e: 'late' loses its glide
    • Urdu speakers: /eɪ/ flattens to /eː/: 'pain' sounds like a stretched 'pen'

    Spellings of /eɪ/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /eɪ/: a_e ai ay eigh ey ea. English spelling is unreliable; trust the IPA, not the letters.

    Don't confuse it with…

    Minimal pairs isolate the exact contrast, the fastest way to train both your ear and your mouth.

    Words that drill /eɪ/

    Each has a full breakdown, audio in both accents and a recording drill. Practising a sound inside a real word transfers better than practising it alone.

    segueSEG-wayWednesdayWENZ-daysustainabilitysuh-stay-nuh-BIL-uh-teedeterioratedi-TEER-ee-uh-ratejalapeñohal-uh-PAY-nyohedamameed-uh-MAH-may

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /eɪ/ sound?
    Start with the /e/ of 'bed'. Glide smoothly up and forward towards /ɪ/. Keep it one smooth movement: day, make, rain.
    What is the most common mistake with /eɪ/?
    Flattening it to a pure long /eː/ so 'late' sounds like 'let' stretched out, common for Spanish, French, Japanese and many African-language speakers. The glide must be audible.
    Which spellings make the /eɪ/ sound?
    Common spellings include “a_e”, “ai”, “ay”, “eigh”, “ey”, “ea”, as in day /deɪ/, make /meɪk/, rain /reɪn/.
    Does /eɪ/ matter for IELTS?
    It matters moderately. Errors are noticeable but only sometimes affect understanding. Fix the high-priority vowel contrasts and final consonants first, then polish this one.

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