/aɪ/ — the /aɪ/ sound
the /aɪ/ sound
Vowels · Gliding vowels
This sound hasn't been scored yet.
How to make it
Start with the mouth wide and glide up to /ɪ/.
Watch a native speaker say it
See the mouth and tongue before you record — hearing a sound rarely tells you where the tongue goes.
Rachel's English · English Sounds - AI [aɪ] Diphthong - How to make the AI as in BUY Diphthong Watch on YouTube
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Words with this sound
Tap the speaker to hear a native speaker say it.
buy
/baɪ/
by
/baɪ/
bye
/baɪ/
eyes
/aɪz/
hi
/haɪ/
my
/maɪ/
pie
/paɪ/
why
/waɪ/
bike
/baɪk/
cry
/kraɪ/
fire
/ˈfaɪər/
five
/ˈfaɪ̯v/
Minimal pairs
Two words that differ by exactly one sound. Listen until you can tell them apart, then say them yourself.
- aɪ
hi
/haɪ/
eɪhey
/heɪ/
- aɪ
liar
/ˈlaɪər/
ɔɪlawyer
/ˈlɔɪər/
- aɪ
buy
/baɪ/
iːbe
/bi/
- aɪ
eyes
/aɪz/
ɪis
/ɪz/
- aɪ
hide
/haɪd/
ehead
/hed/
- aɪ
eyes
/aɪz/
æas
/æz/
- aɪ
hi
/haɪ/
ɑːhah
/hɑː/
- aɪ
mile
/maɪl/
ɔːmall
/mɔːl/
Test yourself on this sound
Read these 8 words in one recording. The AI scores every sound and tells you whether your /aɪ/ came out right.