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                        AMERICAN ENGLISH SPEECH

                                    VOWEL SOUNDS

                                   

AY                                

 

AY is a “tense” sound.  That means the muscles of your mouth are tense.  It may help to prolong it and end with an EE sound.  It sounds like the name of the letter “a.” 

 

Instructions to make this sound: Is your tongue somewhat raised?  Are the muscles of your mouth tense?

 

Common problems: Using an EH sound so “pain” sounds like “pen.”

 

Common spellings: A as in “acre,” AI as in “raise,” AU as in “gauge,” AY as in “day,” E as in “cliché,” EA as in “great,” EI as in “vein,” EIGH as in “eight,” ET as in “gourmet,” EY as in “hey”

 

age                                         at age eighty                                   

H                                             say “H”                                

eight                                       eight payments in April    

date                                        able to make a date                       

later                                        will rain later                                   

they                                        they may stay anyway                 

 

Set the cake on the left side of the table, okay?                   

A neighbor explained the parade was delayed.