• merc@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    1
    ·
    8 days ago

    but let and may have the same e sound

    Not according to any dictionary I’ve ever seen.

    Let uses /ɛ/ and rhymes with pet, wet, sweat, duet, etc.

    May uses /e/, and the California pronunciation is /me̞ː/ it’s not a diphthong, just a long vowel sound

    there are three different e sounds that i as an American English speaker cannot discern.

    Sure you can. Unless you think that the two vowels in “entrain” or “explain” or “enchain” have the same sound, you’re aware of both the /ɛ/ and /e/ sounds, and you know they’re different. If you can hear the difference between the two vowels in “obtain” then you can hear the difference between /ə/ and /e/.