Front, closing and narrow
For the articulation of RP /eɪ/, the glide begins from slightly below the half-close front position [e˕] and moves in the direction of RP /ɪ/, there being a slight closing movement of the lower jaw. The lips are spread. Before [ɫ], the [ɪ] element tends to be absorbed into [ə] or [ʊ] (e.g. sail [seəɫ]). English and Spanish /eɪ/ as in reina ('queen') are similar in quality, although the starting point of the former is a more open type of [e] while the end-point is more relaxed in English than in Spanish. English /eɪ/ is longer in quantity
| <a> | April /ˈeɪprəl/ , Cambridge /ˈkeɪmbrɪdʒ/ , chaos /keɪɒs/ | ||||||||
| <ai,ay> | jail /dʒeɪl/ , rain /reɪn/ , crayon /kreɪən/ | ||||||||
| <ei, ey> | grey /ɡreɪ/ , obey /əˈbeɪ/ | ||||||||
| <ea> | great /ˈɡreɪt/ , steak /steɪk/ | ||||||||
| <eigh> | sleigh /sleɪ/ , eight /eɪt/ | ||||||||
| Verbs ending in <-ate> (/eɪ/ vs. /ə/ in n. and adj.) | graduate /ˈɡrædʒʊeɪt/ , approximate/əˈprɒksɪmət/ , estimate /ˈestɪmeɪt/ | ||||||||
| French loanwords with the following spellings: |
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| Rare cases: |
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| they /ðeɪ/ |
| played /pleɪd/ |
| plate /pleɪt/ |
| chaos /keɪɒs/ |
| railway /ˈreɪlweɪ/ |
| explain /ɪkˈspleɪn/ |
| convey /kənˈveɪ/ |
| sleighing /ˈsleɪɪŋ/ |
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The mayor says he's afraid they elaborate a deliberate plan to raise riot in Baker street.
/ðə ˈmeə ˈsez hiz əˈfreɪd ðeɪ ɪˈlæbəreɪt ə dɪˈlɪbərət ˈplæn tə ˈreɪz ˈraɪət ɪn ˈbeɪkə ˈstri:t/ |
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I don't like this mayonnaise. May I change it?
/ˈaɪ dəʊnt ˈlaɪk ðɪs ˌmeɪəˈneɪz || ˈmeɪ aɪ ˈtʃeɪndʒ ɪt/ |
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Today, at a quarter to eight, I'm going away to Spain by plane.
/təˈdeɪ | ət ə ˈkwɔ:tə tu ˈeɪt | aɪm ˌɡəʊɪŋ əˈweɪ tə ˈspeɪn baɪ ˈpleɪn/ |
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That's a bit dangerous at your age.
/ˈðæts ə bɪt ˈdeɪndʒərəs ət jər ˈeɪdʒ/ |
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Six slimy snails sailed silently
/ ˈsɪks ˈslaɪmi ˈsneɪlz ˈseɪld ˈsaɪləntli/ |
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On a lazy laser raiser lies a laser ray eraser.
/ɒn ə ˈleɪzi leɪzə ˈreɪzə ˈlaɪz ə ˈleɪzə reɪ ɪˈreɪzə/ |
The tongue begins below close front position in the oral chamber and moves upwards towards a centralised close front position. The lips are loosely spread. The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).
Falling diphthong
The first sound in this diphthong is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an half open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.
| treinta |
| rey |
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The first sound is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an half open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate.