EɪƏ - LOWER CASE E + SMALL UPPER CASE I + SCHWA

Falling, narrow, front closing diphthong + /ə/.

In this phonemic combination in which the diphthong /eɪ/ is followed by /ə/, as in e.g. layer, the diphthongal glide is abruptly interrupted, and then the tongue moves with an audible glide to a relatively open variety of /ə/.

As this sound combination is usually regarded as spreading over two syllables, it would be wrong to regard it as a triphthong.

On the other hand, given that the middle segment /ɪ/ is very weak, some speakers drop this sound thereby reducing the glide to just two elements, the diphthong /eə/, or to one element, the long monophthong /ɛː/.

This phenomenon is technically known as levelling or smoothing. Thus, layer may sound the same as lair.

Spelling

<ayer> player/ˈpleɪə/, Layer /ˈleɪə/

Examples

player /ˈpleɪə/


layer /ˈleɪə/


prayer (person) /ˈpreɪə/


stayer /ˈsteɪə/


rayon /ˈreɪən/


The prayer and the player agreed that the Bible has multiple layers of meaning.
/ ðə ˈpreɪə ənd ðə ˈpleɪər əˈɡriːd ðət ðə ˈbaɪbl̩ həz ˈmʌltɪpl̩ ˈleɪəz əv ˈmiːnɪŋ/



The payer in rayon is really a stayer but not a betrayer.
/ðə ˈpeɪər ɪn ˈreɪən z ˈrɪəli ə ˈsteɪə bət nɒt ə bɪˈtreɪə/

Pronunciation




The tongue moves upwards from below half-close front in the direction of a centralised haf-close position and then it moves downwards towards an open variety of /ə/.

The lips change from slightly spread to neutral. The soft palate is raised (unless followed by a nasal).