Description of the /ei/ Sound

• To say /ei/, the front of your tongue moves from the position of saying /e/ to the position of saying /i/.
• The sound is therefore a combination of the two pure vowel sounds /e/ and /i/
• Your lips are spread when you say the /ei/ sound.

Description of the /ai/ Sound

• When you say the /ai/, your tongue moves from the position of saying /a/ to the position of saying /i/
• The /ai/ sound is a combination of the two pure vowel sounds /a/ and /i/

Description of the /ɔi/ Sound

• To say the /ɔi/ sound, the front of your tongue starts down from the position of saying /ɔ/ and then moves up to the position of saying /i/
• The /ɔi/ sound is a combination of the pure vowels /ɔ/ and /i/
• Your lips change from open rounded to neutral spread when you say /ɔi/

Spelling of the /ei/ Sound

• ae, as in: mate. cake, late, etc.
• ai, as in: paint, faint, aim, bail, fail, etc.
• a, as in: fatal, naval, papal, etc.
• ay, as in: clay, lay, slay, bay, play, etc.
• ey, as in: they, obey, grey, etc.
• ea, as in: great, steak, break, etc.
• ei, as in: weight, eight, reign, etc.

Spelling of the /ai/ Sound

• i, as in: kind, find, bind, etc.
• i_e, as in: time, mine, fine, bite, etc.
• ie, as in: tie, lie, die, pie, etc.
• ei, as in: height, either, neither, sleight, etc.
• y, as in: cry, try, dry, fry, ply, etc.
• ye, as in: bye, dye, rye, etc.
• ign, as in: resign, align, sign, malign, etc.
• igh, as in: sigh, bight, fight, fright, etc.
• uy, as in: buy, guy, etc.

Spelling of the /ɔi/ Sound

• oi, as in: boil, coil, noise, foil, soil, coin, etc.
• oy, as in: boy, coy, toy, Roy, ploy, etc.