SpeakMetry
    Start free
    aɪ

    The /aɪ/ sound: i as in my

    • Diphthong
    • Glides
    • Medium priority

    Hear it

    in my

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

    How to make /aɪ/

    1. 1

      Open your mouth wide for the /a/ start.

    2. 2

      Glide up towards /ɪ/, closing your jaw as you go.

    3. 3

      One smooth sweep: my, time, why.

    Sounds like
    the word 'eye' / the letter I

    How /aɪ/ is spelled

    • i … e
    • y
    • igh
    • ie
    • uy

    The usual mistake

    Cutting the glide short so 'like' sounds close to 'lack', or over-lengthening the first part. Both endpoints must be heard.

    Words to practise

    Say it and get scored

    Read my, time, eye, high, buy, quite aloud. Free, no account.

    Check my /aɪ/

    Questions

    How do you pronounce the /aɪ/ sound?
    Open your mouth wide for the /a/ start. Glide up towards /ɪ/, closing your jaw as you go. One smooth sweep: my, time, why.
    What is the most common mistake with /aɪ/?
    Cutting the glide short so 'like' sounds close to 'lack', or over-lengthening the first part. Both endpoints must be heard.
    Which spellings make the /aɪ/ sound?
    Common spellings include “i_e”, “y”, “igh”, “ie”, “uy”, as in my /maɪ/, time /taɪm/, eye /aɪ/.
    Does /aɪ/ 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.