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ai In Standard German

The letter combination "ai" has a small number of pronunciation patterns that we will explain here.

Letter Combination	ai
Name	ai (pronounced /aɪ̯/)
Common Sound(s)	/aɪ/, /eɪ/

The Letter Combination "ai"

Sound 1: /aɪ/

In most native German words, "ai" is pronounced as /aɪ/ (similar to English "eye").

Example

Hai → /haɪ/

shark

Mais → /maɪs/

corn

Sound 2: /eɪ/ (English loanwords)

In modern English loanwords, "ai" can sometimes sound like /eɪ/, especially when the word keeps a more English pronunciation.

Example

Mail → /meɪl/

email

Brainstorming → /ˈbreɪnˌstɔːmɪŋ/

brainstorming

Tip!

The pronunciation often depends on how strongly the word is integrated into German. More everyday words tend to sound more "Germanized."

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- Sound 1: /aɪ/
- Sound 2: /eɪ/ (English loanwords)

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