5. Paper vs Pepper: GRAY DAY /ei/ & RED PEPPER /ɛ/
GRAY DAY is a moving vowel sound.
- Begin with the mouth mid-way open. Close the mouth as you move to the GREEN TEA “ee” sound. Your lips should be relaxed.
RED PEPPER is a non-moving vowel sound.
- The mouth is mid-way open. Your tongue is relaxed, laying like a rug on the floor of the mouth.
The most common challenge is not pronouncing GRAY DAY with the full movement to GREEN TEA. Without this movement, GRAY DAY sounds more like RED PEPPER.
GRAY DAY:
- a + consonant + e: same, make, late
- ai: main, wait, main, faint
- ay: say, away
- ey: they, convey, obey
- eigh: neighbor, weigh, eight
RED PEPPER
- e: bed, depth, rest, general
- ea: head, measure, ready
GRAY DAY & RED PEPPER Training
These following exercises combine listening, shadowing, and gradually increasing complexity to help you internalize new sounds and rhythm patterns in your spoken English.
Level 1 is available to all visitors. CEA members unlock the complete training.
Goal: Hear and produce each vowel sound clearly in single words.
- Listen to the minimal pair words. Can you hear the contrast?
- Say the words with me, keeping each sound clear and distinct.
- Record yourself saying the pairs. Then listen back—do your RED PEPPER and GRAY DAY vowels sound different?
Mini Challenge: “Flood” the words in each column (say all of one column in a row). Can you keep the vowel sound consistent from top to bottom?
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RED PEPPER
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GRAY DAY
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debt
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date
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less
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lace
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pepper
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paper
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get
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gate
-
letter
-
later
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