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⟨a-e⟩

From Teflpedia

a-e is a split vowel digraph commonly found in English consisting of A and E.

With magic E[edit | edit source]

With magic E, this digraphs represents the diphthong /eɪ/ sound, when a stressed syllable:

Examples:

  • b: babe
  • c: ace
  • ch: ache
  • d: fade
  • f: safe
  • g: sage
  • gu: plague
  • k: sake
  • l: sale
  • m: same
  • n: sane
  • p: ape
  • qu: opaque
  • s: base
  • st: waste
  • t: ate
  • [[th]: swathe
  • v: save
  • z: raze

Unstressed syllables[edit | edit source]

Unstressed syllables are subject to vowel reduction, particularly with -ate and -age, e.g. advantage, adequate.

Also carcase.

With R:[edit | edit source]

With R it becomes the diphthong /eə/, e.g. fare, tare. However, exception, are.

With S[edit | edit source]

Some words with S have voicing, but some don’t.

  • Not: case, base, chase
  • Yes: phase, erase, etc.

With ch[edit | edit source]

With ch in some words of French origin, ch is pronounced as an unvoiced palato-alveolar sibilant /ʃ/ and the A is a short a sound. Examples: cache, moustache, etc.

Words that don’t contain this digraph[edit | edit source]

Apache does not contain an a-e digraph, and is pronounced /əˈpæ.ʧi:/

Silent E[edit | edit source]

er…?