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Long A sound words

The long A sound is a diphthong: your tongue glides from a mid-front vowel up toward the ee position. English spells it with a-e, ai, ay, ei, ea and eigh, which is why these words look so unrelated. Listen for the same gliding vowel across every spelling.

Accent

15 words · beginner · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

day
rain
eight
great
they
cake
wait
stay
weigh
break
obey
train
face
neighbour
steak

More lists like this

Long E sound words
The long ee sound in see, meat and field. Hear the tense vowel across all its spellings.
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Vowel minimal pairs
Cat and cut, bed and bad, cop and cup. One vowel apart, completely different words.
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Magic E words
A silent final E that changes the vowel before it: hat to hate, kit to kite. Hear the difference.
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Short I sound words
The relaxed short i in sit, big and busy. The single hardest vowel for most learners to place.
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Schwa sound words
The most common sound in English, hiding in every unstressed syllable. Learn to hear the schwa.
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Long vs short vowel pairs
Ship or sheep, full or fool, pull or pool. Hear the tense and lax vowel pairs side by side.
15
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Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.