本音标符号明明是一个符号,为何却称双元音呢?原来 [e] 是两个单元音 [ɛ] 及 [ɪ] 结合而成的。故发 [e] 音的时候,先发 [ɛ] 的音,再发 [ɪ] 的音,中间不停顿,一气呵成。发出的音类似汉语拼音“ei”的发音。
sex peg set lake make later
[e] 之后若接辅音 [n] 时,我们极易念成 [ɛn] 的错误发音:
plane main train saint
He lives by the lake. I’ll make coffee for you. I’ll be back later.