//

diphthong

The AY (day) Sound

as in day

How to make the // sound

Voiced — vocal cords vibrate
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Start with short E…
  2. 2…then glide up toward short I.
  3. 3One smooth movement: "eh-ee".

⚠ The most common mistake

Flattening it to a pure "e", so "late" sounds like "let".

Especially tricky for speakers of: Spanish, Japanese.

Train your ear: // vs /e/

These two words differ by exactly one sound. Tap both — can you hear it?

Practice: Record & Compare

Record yourself saying day, then compare with the target. Your audio stays on this device — nothing is uploaded.

Practice words with //

Tap the speaker to hear each word; tap the word for its full pronunciation page.

More diphthongs

See all 44 sounds of English →