Watch the following video and
learn how to pronounce this sound
Practice speaking while watching the video.
Spelling
This sound can be spelled in any of the following ways
a
gate,
lace, lady,
shade, taste,
late, race
ai
complain,
explain, mail,
tail, wait
ay
day,
pay
ea
great
ei
eight, neighbor, veil
ey
they
Note: the red
letters all have the same sound
Sound type
This is a VOICED sound which means Your Vocal Cords DO
vibrate when making this sound.
You CAN
LISTEN to your Vocal Cords vibrating if you cover
your ears with your hands.
Try covering your ears with your hands as Akiko is doing in
the picture.
Now make the sound of this lesson. Can you listen to your vocal cords vibrating?
VERY GOOD
You CAN
FEEL your Vocal Cords vibrating if
you place your hands on your neck.
Try placing your hands on your neck as Akiko is doing in the
picture.
Now make the sound of this lesson. Can you feel your vocal
cords vibrating?
VERY GOOD
The following diagram shows the most important parts of your
head and mouth used for pronouncing the sounds of English.
It also shows the location of your Vocal Cords.
Mouth, lips,
and tongue position
The following descriptions explain the proper mouth, lips,
and tongue position when you make this sound.
Mouth
Your mouth should be slightly tense.
Lips
Your lips should be unrounded.
Tongue
The front part of your tongue should be in the center part of your
mouth.
Practice video
Watch the following video and
practice pronouncing this sound.
Listen to the video and practice repeating each word.
Pronunciation practice words
Look at your mouth in a mirror and practice pronouncing
the following words. Make sure your mouth, lips, and
tongue are in their proper positions.
gate
explain
day
great
eight
they
lady
tail
pay
neighbor
taste
wait
Note: the red letters all
have the same sound (watch the video above)
Pronunciation word test
Choose the correct letter or
letters to complete each of the following words.
1. g_te
2. expl_ _n
3. d_ _
4. gr_ _t
5. _ _ght
6. th_ _
7. l_dy
8. t_ _l
9. p_ _
10. n_ _ghbor
Note: the letter
or letters needed to complete each word all have the
same sound.
Learn the sounds of vowel and consonant combinations.
Match the vowels (A,E,I,O,U) with the consonants
(B,D,G,M,N,P,R,T,W,Y) to form words with the same
sounds. Pictures included to make understanding easier.
Great pages for kids.
Learn to correctly pronounce difficult world places and
names in the news. Each country page shows the English
spelling and the phonetic spelling of difficult to
pronounce words in the news from that country. This is
very important if you want to discuss the news and other
issues with native English speakers.
More Pronunciation Information
Are You How You Talk?
(Beginner - Listening,
reading)
A video lesson to
help with your understanding of American dialects.
The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page.
Are You How You Talk?
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your understanding of American dialects. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program.
Improve Your Pronunciation by Training Your
Ears
(Beginner - Listening)
An audio lesson to
help with your
pronunciation and English language
reductions. The English is
spoken at 75% of normal speed. Great English pronunciation tips.
Click here to visit the lesson page with the written script for this
audio program.