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    eɪ

    The /eɪ/ sound: ay as in day

    • Diphthong
    • Glides
    • Medium priority

    Hear it

    in day

    Lips
    Relaxed
    Tongue
    Glides up
    Voice
    On
    Length
    Long: one sound that moves

    How to make /eɪ/

    1. 1

      Start with the /e/ of 'bed'.

    2. 2

      Glide smoothly up and forward towards /ɪ/.

    3. 3

      Keep it one smooth movement: day, make, rain.

    Sounds like
    the letter A said naturally

    /e/ vs /eɪ/: pen vs pain

    Every pair

    /eɪ/ MOVES; it starts at /e/ and glides up towards /ɪ/. Say 'pain' slowly and feel your jaw close during the vowel; on 'pen' nothing moves.

    1 / 8

    Which word do you hear?

    How /eɪ/ is spelled

    • a … e
    • ai
    • ay
    • eigh
    • ey
    • ea

    The usual mistake

    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.

    Hardest for speakers of

    Words to practise

    Say it and get scored

    Read day, make, rain, eight, they, great aloud. Free, no account.

    Check my /eɪ/

    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.