/e/

short vowel

The Short E Sound

as in bed

How to make the /e/ sound

Voiced — vocal cords vibrate
voiced voiceless
  1. 1Open the mouth a finger-width.
  2. 2Tongue mid-high in the front.
  3. 3Short and crisp: "eh".

⚠ The most common mistake

Confusing it with short A, so "pen" and "pan" sound identical.

Especially tricky for speakers of: Hindi, Tagalog.

Train your ear: /e/ vs /æ/

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

Practice: Record & Compare

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

Practice words with /e/

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

More short vowels

See all 44 sounds of English →