Vowel Digraphs difficulties

[Nicki28]

I clearly dont understand the rules for vowel digraphs. For example, the vowel digraph AI. Why is the A sound in PAID long and short in the SAIL. Shouldnt AI words always have a long A sound? How do you know when the rule doesnt apply? All vowel digraphs seem to have exceptions to the rule, but how do you identitfy that? Thanks!

[BobK]

I clearly dont understand the rules for vowel digraphs. For example, the vowel digraph AI. Why is the A sound in PAID long and short in the SAIL. Shouldnt AI words always have a long A sound? How do you know when the rule doesnt apply? All vowel digraphs seem to have exceptions to the rule, but how do you identitfy that? Thanks!

I don't understand. Are you talking about digraphs (what we write) or diphthongs? The words 'paid' and 'sail' both make the same diphthong anyway (/eɪ/). I think the examples you wanted to give were 'paid' and 'said' (the latter of which doesn't have a diphthong sound at all, in spite of the digraph: /sed/).

But the general point is that in English - unlike some other languages - there just isn't a direct/unchanging relation between spellings and sounds. The solution is to listen a lot and to use the IPA to reinforce your learning. Learner's dictionaries (the ones with 'learner's' in the title) all use the IPA. Why pay good money for it and then ignore half the information it offers.

b

[chokol]

Well, as an English learner, I find it very difficult to speak English in a way that native speakers do cuz the vowels are different from those in my language :(
It is really hard !!!

[BobK]

PS When I said 'paid' and 'sail' have the same vowel sound, I was speaking phonemically: /peɪd/ and /seɪl/. In Real Life there's a bit of a vocalic noise after the /eɪ/ in 'sail'; whether you call it a schwa or the onset of a syllabic consonant is up to you!

b