Pronouncing /ei/ and /aɪ/

By Akeem Alao

/eɪ/ is a diphthong sound which means a combination of two vowel sounds that are pronounced within the same syllable.

1. The /eɪ/ sound is a combination of /e/ and /ɪ/.

𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚ɪ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙

spatial: /ˈspeɪʃəl/
Wane: /weɪn/
Sachet: /ˈsæʃeɪ/
Mendacious: /menˈdeɪʃəs/

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚ɪ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.

able /eɪdʒ/
age /eɪdʒ/
eight /eɪt/
agent /ˈeɪdʒәnt/

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 /𝙚ɪ/ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚.

game /geɪm/
state /steɪt/
later /ˈleɪtə/
change /tʆeɪndʒ/

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 /𝙚ɪ/ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙.

day /deɪ/
play /pleɪ/
away /әˈweɪ/
stay /steɪ/

2. 𝙑𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙡 /𝙖𝙞/
𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖ɪ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙

Stipend: /ˈstaɪpend/
Lullaby: /ˈlʌləbaɪ/
Alibi: /ˈæləbaɪ/

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 /𝙖ɪ/ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙.

idea /ˈaɪðә/
either /ˈaɪðә/
item /ˈaɪtәm/

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 /𝙖ɪ/ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚.

child /tʆaɪld/
while /waɪl/
might /maɪt/
five /faɪv/

𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 /𝙖ɪ/ 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙.

try /traɪ/
high /haɪ/
why /waɪ/

guy /gaɪ/

Akeem teaches at Landmark College, Ikorodu