The vowel sound /aı/ as in “bike”.
R
ead
the instruction to learn how to make the long sound /aı/.
The English diphthong / aı / begins as /a/ , a short lax non-labialized front retracted open /a/ and immediately proceeds in the direction of the English /ı/. The lips are neutral. The distance between the jaws is wider at the beginning of the articulation and rather narrow at the end.
Listen to the target sound and the words and repeat. Look at the mouth diagrams to help you position your lips, tongue and jaw for the target sound. Transcribe the words.
/a a aı/
/a a aı/
/aı aı aı/
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Spelling variations for the /aı/ sound. |
Highlighted bold letters are pronounced as /aı/. |
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y i igh ui |
sky, fly, cry, supply, terrify, deny idle, slide, shine, wild, advertise, design, mind might, high, nigh, delight, right quite, guide |
Read these words with the sound /aı/. Transcribe them.
Might, buy, quite, sign, mild, buy, why, fly, wide, wild, mind, delight, type, buys, flies, design, writer, pipe, wife, flight, cycle, sight, child, buyer, bike, fine, light, find, by, analyse.
Listen to the sentences and repeat. Read each sentence aloud slowly at first, then as if you were telling it to someone in a natural way.
Try to find a bright idea behind the rhymes of Oscar Wilde.
The sun is no longer high in the sky as the day declines.
“His wife is quite mild and kind.” What? Are you blind?
There are some guys in St. Ives who have up to seven wives.
Holding their chins quite high nine knights were riding by.
Try not to be frightened of spiders, just hide when they come in sight – they won’t bite!
Nine men with fine tenor voices decided to sing quite high in the choir on Friday night.
Read the following sentences. Mind the right articulation of the sound /aı/.
Nile crocodiles have the widest smiles.
Isn’t it fine to fly a kite?
What kind of ice cream shall I buy?
Why do you hide?
I like my five pet mice.
Be kind to the crying child.
Irish eyes are smiling.
Blind Island is a mile wide.
My guide will buy us the right kind of line.
He tried to find some high-priced ivory.
If I were wise I’d change the tire tonight.
L
isten
and copy the intonation and voice modulation on the CD.
There was a lady loved a swine,
She kindly asked:
Pog-hog will you be mine?
I will build you a silver sty,
In which you will idly lie.
Practice reading the tongue twisters as quickly as you can. Be careful not to mispronounce the target sound / aı /.
1. Little Mike left his bike like Tike at Spike's.
2. You've no need to light a night-light
On a light night like tonight,
For a night-light's light's a slight light,
And tonight's a night that's light.
When a night's light, like tonight's light,
It is really not quite right
To light night-lights with their slight lights
On a light night like tonight.
3. Why do you cry, Willy? Why do you cry? Why, Willy? Why, Willy? Why, Willy? Why?
Listen to the tongue twister. Learn it by heart. Practice saying it as quickly as you can. Be careful not to mispronounce the target sound.
When you write copy you have the right to copyright the copy you write.
Listen to the dialogues. Intone them. Learn and reproduce, paying attention to the pronunciation of the sound /aı/, intonation and tempo.
Dialogue 4
- D’you like my bike?
- Yes – it’s a fine bicycle.
- I think it’s very nice.
- But – why did you buy it?
- I didn’t buy it. I’ve hired it for a fortnight.
- But why? You don’t like cycling – or any kind of exercise.
- Well, Myra likes cycling. And I like Myra.
- Does Myra like you?
- In a fortnight she might – if I’m still alive.
Dialogue 5
- Do you mind if I sit by the aisle? Oh, how kind! Thank you. I hate flying.
- Then – why do you fly?
- I’m a highjacker.975
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Learn the following graphical rules:
Vowel / aı / is represented in spelling by:
The letters “i” and “y” in stressed open syllables. (tie, my)
The diagraph “igh” + “t” (light), “ign” (sign)
“i” + “ld, nd” (kind, child)
“uy” (buy)
Rare Spellings: either, neither, height.
Irregular Readings: wind /wind/, city, pity.
Find Ukrainian equivalents to the proverbs and sayings. Learn them:
Out of sight out of mind.
Neither here, nor there.
Great minds think alike.