mail, male, female

[peter123]

Hi there,

These words 'mail' and 'male' share the same sound: [ei], but people usually say it with an [e] sound. Why?
Thanks
pete

[Tdol]

Sounds often change for ease and convenience in connected speech; it flows better.

[AngloKelt]

Originally Posted by peter123

Hi there,

These words 'mail' and 'male' share the same sound: [ei], but people usually say it with an [e] sound. Why?
Thanks
pete

The difference you are hearing might be because people may have different accents. Some people use the diphthong [ei], especially in British English RP (standard pronunciation). However the diphthong is not necessary to be understood. The [e] sound could be pronounced similar to the final é as the French pronounce it in the word "café".