Pinyin final: "ei1"

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Mouth Mechanics (step-by-step)

1. Start with a relaxed “eh” mouth shape (like the vowel in “bed”, but slightly tenser and a touch higher).
2. Tongue position: the front of your tongue is raised toward the front roof of your mouth, but it does not touch; the tongue tip rests lightly behind the lower front teeth.
3. Lips: keep them neutral (not rounded, not spread into a big smile). Think “natural speaking face.”
4. Glide: while voicing, slide the tongue slightly higher and forward toward a brief “y” ending (the feeling at the start of “yes”), but do not make a separate syllable.
5. Finish lightly: the ending should be quick and light, not prolonged. Avoid adding any final consonant.

Tone note for ei1: it is first tone, so keep the pitch high and level from start to finish.

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English Approximation (what to copy, what to change)

These English examples are only approximations; use them as a starting point:

• “say” — use the vowel sound in sAY (the “ay” part).
  Change: make it purer and shorter; don’t let it drift into “say-uh.”
• “day” — use the vowel in dAY.
  Change: keep the glide quick, and avoid a heavy, drawn-out American “ay.”
• “they” — use the vowel in thEY.
  Change: don’t add extra tension or length; finish cleanly.

If your English “ay” is very long (common in many U.S. accents), aim for: “eh → (quick) y”, like a tight, neat glide, not a full dramatic slide.

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Common Mistakes (English speakers)

• Adding an “uh” at the end: “ei” should NOT sound like “ay-uh.” Finish cleanly.
• Over-stretching the glide: English “ay” can become very long; Mandarin ei is usually more compact.
• Accidentally turning it into “ee”: don’t end too high and too long; the final “y” feeling is brief, not a full “ee.”
• Rounding the lips: ei is not an “oh/oo”-type sound; keep lips neutral.

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Practice Pairs (visual anchors)

Pinyin (ei1 family)	English anchor (approx.)	Match the part that sounds similar	What to fix for Mandarin
ei1	“say”	the “ay” vowel	shorter, cleaner; no “uh” tail
bei1	“bay”	the “ay” vowel after b	keep b crisp; compact glide
pei1	“pay”	the “ay” vowel after p	Mandarin p is more “puffed” (aspirated) than English b
fei1	“fate”	the “ay” part in fate	don’t let a t appear; end without a consonant
lei1	“lay”	the “ay” vowel after l	keep it one syllable; no extra vowel
wei1	“way”	the “ay” vowel after w	don’t over-round; keep the glide light

(These anchors are for sound memory. The goal is the Mandarin ei glide, not perfect English matching.)

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Comparisons & caveats (similar Pinyin sounds)

A) ei vs. e (single vowel)

• ei has a noticeable glide: eh → y (one smooth movement).
• e (when it appears as a simple vowel in other syllables) is not this “ay” glide.

Rule of thumb: if you hear/feel a slide upward toward “y,” that’s ei, not a plain e.

B) ei vs. ai

• ei starts higher and “tighter” (closer to “eh/ay”).
• ai starts more open (closer to the “a” in “father” for many speakers) and then glides up.

Practical cue: ei feels like “eh → y,” while ai feels like “ah → y.”

C) ei after w / u- (the “wei / -ui” issue)

In syllables like dui1, tui1, gui1, kui1, hui1, zui1, cui1, sui1, zhui1, chui1, the written final -ui is pronounced with the same “ei” ending (a we + ei feeling).
- Example: dui1 is essentially d + (w)ei in sound.

Common trap: English speakers may try to pronounce -ui as “oo-ee.” Don’t. It’s a w + ei glide, not two separate vowels.

D) Aspirated vs. unaspirated initials (affects clarity, not the ei itself)

Pairs like bei1 / pei1 and dui1 / tui1, gui1 / kui1 differ mainly by air release on the initial: - pei1, tui1, kui1, cui1 have a stronger puff of air at the start. - bei1, dui1, gui1 start more “tight” and less breathy.

Keep the ei part the same; don’t change the vowel just because the initial changes.

E) Keep first tone steady

For ei1 and all -ei1 / -ui1 examples listed, maintain a high, level pitch throughout the glide. The tone should not dip or rise; it stays steady while your mouth moves.