air (hair)
/eə/
- Language
- English
- Unit
- Vowels
- IPA
- /eə/
- Practice words
- 5
Sample pronunciation audio — Open the full phoneme overview
Start with one sample audio file for diphthongs - /eə/.
Quick tip
Diphthongs glide from one vowel position to another in a single syllable.
Letters and IPA
Practice words
-
hair
-
chair
-
pair
-
care
-
wear
Minimal pairs
- hair / hair/hear
- chair / chair/cheer
- pair / pair/peer
- care / care/core
- wear / wear/war
How to produce this sound
Start with an open-mid front vowel like e, then glide gently toward a relaxed schwa. Keep your tongue moving slightly and do not add a strong r unless your accent does.
Common mix-ups
- hair / here
- chair / cheer
- care / cure
Closest comparison
hair, chair, pair, care, wear
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