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    Pronunciation · vowel

    The /e/ sound: e as in bed

    In short

    /e/ is a short open-mid front vowel, the vowel you hear in bed, egg, head. 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 /e/

    1. 1Open your mouth a little wider than for /ɪ/.
    2. 2Keep the front of your tongue mid-high.
    3. 3Say a short, crisp 'eh': bed, head, said.

    Sounds like: the 'e' in 'ten', short and clear

    /e/ in words, with audio

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

    • bedbed · sound is medial
    • eggeɡ · sound is initial
    • headhed · sound is medial
    • saidsed · sound is medial
    • friendfrend · sound is medial
    • manyˈmeni · sound is medial

    The mistake almost everyone makes

    Merging it with /æ/ so 'pen' sounds like 'pan', or with /ɪ/ so 'desk' sounds like 'disk'.

    Who struggles with this sound:

    Spellings of /e/

    These letter patterns commonly spell /e/: e ea ai ie a. 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 /e/

    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-wayhegemonyhih-GEM-uh-neeanemoneuh-NEM-uh-neevegetableVEJ-tuh-bultemperatureTEM-pruh-chuhrestaurantRES-tronteveryEV-reesecretarySEK-ruh-tree

    Browse the whole word bank

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    Frequently asked questions

    How do you pronounce the /e/ sound?
    Open your mouth a little wider than for /ɪ/. Keep the front of your tongue mid-high. Say a short, crisp 'eh': bed, head, said.
    What is the most common mistake with /e/?
    Merging it with /æ/ so 'pen' sounds like 'pan', or with /ɪ/ so 'desk' sounds like 'disk'.
    Which spellings make the /e/ sound?
    Common spellings include “e”, “ea”, “ai”, “ie”, “a”, as in bed /bed/, egg /eɡ/, head /hed/.
    Does /e/ matter for IELTS?
    Yes. This is a high-priority sound. Errors here frequently change one word into another, which examiners hear as reduced clarity (the exact Band 6 wording is “mispronunciation … reduces clarity at times”).

    Next step

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