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    ɔɪ

    The /ɔɪ/ sound: oy as in boy

    • Diphthong
    • Glides
    • Polish

    Hear it

    in boy

    Lips
    Open, then relax
    Tongue
    Glides up
    Voice
    On
    Length
    Long: one sound that moves

    How to make /ɔɪ/

    1. 1

      Start with rounded lips on /ɔ/.

    2. 2

      Unround and glide up towards /ɪ/.

    3. 3

      Boy, choice, enjoy.

    Sounds like
    the 'oy' in 'ahoy'

    How /ɔɪ/ is spelled

    • oi
    • oy

    The usual mistake

    Simplifying to a single vowel so 'oil' sounds like 'all'. Rare, but the contrast matters in words like 'boy/bore' and 'toy/tore'.

    Say it and get scored

    Read boy, choice, enjoy, voice, coin, oil aloud. Free, no account.

    Check my /ɔɪ/

    Questions

    How do you pronounce the /ɔɪ/ sound?
    Start with rounded lips on /ɔ/. Unround and glide up towards /ɪ/. Boy, choice, enjoy.
    What is the most common mistake with /ɔɪ/?
    Simplifying to a single vowel so 'oil' sounds like 'all'. Rare, but the contrast matters in words like 'boy/bore' and 'toy/tore'.
    Which spellings make the /ɔɪ/ sound?
    Common spellings include “oi”, “oy”, as in boy /bɔɪ/, choice /tʃɔɪs/, enjoy /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ/.
    Does /ɔɪ/ matter for IELTS?
    It is a polish-level sound: errors are audible but rarely stop a listener understanding you. IELTS scores intelligibility, not perfection; prioritise the contrasts that change word meaning.