/eə/ — the /eə/ sound
the /eə/ sound
Vowels · Gliding vowels
This sound hasn't been scored yet.
How to make it
Start at /e/ and relax back to /ə/.
Watch a native speaker say it
See the mouth and tongue before you record — hearing a sound rarely tells you where the tongue goes.
BBC Learning English · 👄 Diphthong - /eə/ - 'square’, ‘fair’ & 'pair' - English Pronunciation Tips Watch on YouTube
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Words with this sound
Tap the speaker to hear a native speaker say it.
yeah
/jeə/
damp
/ˈdeə̯mp/
stairwell
/stˈeəwɛl/
amp
/ˈeə̯mp/
sham
/ˈʃeə̯m/
abate
/əˈbeət/
manic
/ˈmeə̯nɪk/
channel
/ˈt͡ʃeə̯nəl/
standby
/ˈsteə̯ndˌbaɪ̯/
cam
/ˈkeə̯m/
candid
/ˈkeə̯ndɪd/
shamble
/ˈʃeə̯mbəl/
Minimal pairs
Two words that differ by exactly one sound. Listen until you can tell them apart, then say them yourself.
- eə
abate
/əˈbeət/
eabet
/əˈbet/
- eə
yeah
/jeə/
iːye
/(j)iː/
- eə
cam
/ˈkeə̯m/
ɑːcalm
/kɑːm/
- eə
yeah
/jeə/
uːyou
/juː/
- eə
damp
/ˈdeə̯mp/
ʌdump
/dʌmp/
- eə
yeah
/jeə/
eɪyea
/jeɪ/
- eə
abate
/əˈbeət/
aʊabout
/əˈbaʊt/
- eə
cam
/ˈkeə̯m/
oʊcomb
/koʊm/
Test yourself on this sound
Read these 8 words in one recording. The AI scores every sound and tells you whether your /eə/ came out right.