⟨e-e⟩

E-e is a split vowel digraph. This generally represents the ꜰʟᴇᴇᴄᴇ vowel phoneme /iː/, but see below. Also, ⟨ere⟩, ⟨ele⟩ and ⟨eye⟩ are dealt with separately.

Examples

• B: grebe, Thebes
• D: concede, impede, Swede.
• L: allele, anele.
• M: extreme, theme, meme.
• N: gene, scene, styrene
• T: concrete, delete, deplete, gamete, Peter/Pete
• V: Eve, eve, evening, Steven/Steve,
• Z: trapeze

Words tend not to end -ece or -epe.

With G

-ege is generally pronounced /-ɪʤ/; e.g. college, privilege,

But, allege is /əˈleʤ/ and renege is /rəˈneɪg/.

French pronunciation

Some French loans are pronounced broadly as in French; cortège /kɔ:ˈteʒ/, crêpe /krep/, clientele /ˌklaɪ.ənˈtel/ or /ˌkli:.ɒnˈtel/

• Qu: cheque, discotheque
• jeté /ʤeteɪ/, fête /feɪt/

With R:

R changes to an "ear diphthong" rather than long E: See ⟨ere⟩

here, mere, severe, telomere

With S

• S: (voiced) these, Japanese, Chinese, manganese
• S (unvoiced): obese /əˈbi:s/

High frequency exceptions

• there /ðeə(r)/
• were /wɜ:(r)/
• eye /aɪ/

Pedagogy

⟨e-e⟩ is less common than the other vowels with magic E, and may be omitted from phonics courses.