Aɪ - LOWER CASE A + SMALL UPPER CASE I

Front, closing and wide.

For the articulation of RP/aɪ/, the glide begins at a point slight1y behind the front open position [ä], approaching RP /ɑ/, and moves in the direction of RP/ɪ/ nearer to a centralised half-close position [ё˕].

The closing movement of the lower jaw is obvious and the lips change from a neutral to a loosely spread position. Before [ɫ], the second segment tends to be absorbed into [ə] or [ʊ] glide (e.g. tile [taːəɫ]).

Similar to the diphthong found in the Spanish word aire (Span 'air'), the starting point of RP /aɪ/ is close to any of the variants of the Spanish glide, but the end-point is more relaxed than in Spanish.

Spelling

<i, y> life /laɪf/, idle /ˈaɪdl̩/ , asylum /əˈsaɪləm/ , scythe /saɪð/
<i, ye, y> lie /laɪ/ , bye /baɪ/ , dry /draɪ/
<ei, ey> either /ˈaɪðə/ , eye /aɪ/
<igh, eigh> bright /braɪt/ , height /haɪt/
<uy> buy /baɪ/ , guy /ɡaɪ/
In some Latin plurals in <-i> alumni /əˈlʌmnaɪ/ , termini /ˈtɜ:mɪnaɪ/, radi/ˈreɪdɪaɪ/
Rare cases:
<aye> aye/aɪ/
<ui> guise /ɡaɪz/
<es> maestro /ˈmaɪstrəʊ/
<ai> aisle /aɪl/
<i> wind /waɪnd/ (vb 'blow horn' 'go round'). vs. wind /wɪnd/ (n.)

Examples

I /aɪ/


eyes /aɪz/


ice /aɪs/


tight /taɪt/


height /haɪt/


island /ˈaɪlənd/


Myra /ˈmaɪərə/


typewriter /ˈtaɪpraɪtə/


Violet likes rock-climbing, horse-riding, and ice-skating.
/ˈvaɪələt ˈlaɪks ˈrɒkˌklaɪmɪŋ ˈhɔ:sˌraɪdɪŋ ənd ˈaɪsˌskeɪtɪŋ/



Mike is going bicycle-riding with Miles next Friday.
/ˈmaɪk s ˈɡəʊɪŋ ˈbaɪsɪkl̩ ˈraɪdɪŋ wɪð ˈmaɪlz ˈnekst ˈfraɪdi/



I'll ask the librarian if there are intriguing sci-fi and psycho movies on DVD.
/ aɪl ˈɑ:sk ðə laɪˈbreərɪən ɪf ðər ər ɪnˈtri:ɡɪŋ ˈsaɪˌfaɪ ənd ˈsaɪkəʊ ˈmu:vɪz ɒn ˌdiviˈdi:



Birdie birdie in the sky laid a turdie in my eye.
/ˈbɜ:di ˈbɜ:di ɪn ðə ˈskaɪ ˈleɪd ə ˈtɜ:di ɪn maɪ ˈaɪ/



If cows could fly, I´d have cow pie in my eye.
/ɪf ˈkaʊz kəd ˈflaɪ aɪd ˈhæv ə ˈkaʊ ˈpaɪ ɪn maɪ ˈaɪ/

Pronunciation




The tongue begins back and low in the oral chamber and moves upwards towards a centralised close front position with a very noticeable closing movement of the lower jaw. The lips change from a neutral to a spread position.

The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).




Falling diphthong

The first sound in this diphthong is a vowel and the second element is a semivowel. The articulators move from an open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.

Spelling

<ai, ay>

Examples

aire


vaina


hay


El bailarín bailaba mirando el paisaje.

Pronunciation




The articulators move from an open position to a close position. The vocal folds vibrate during the production of this sound.