/e/

Position your tongue at a mid-high level in the front of your mouth, roughly halfway between where you'd say "ee" and "eh." Keep your lips relaxed and slightly spread, not rounded. The tip of your tongue should rest gently behind your lower front teeth.

Important: In American English, pure /e/ rarely exists on its own. It almost always becomes part of the diphthong /eɪ/, as in words like "say," "face," or "name." When Americans say these words, the tongue starts at the /e/ position and then glides upward toward /ɪ/. You'll notice your jaw closes slightly as you move through the sound.

If you're seeing /e/ in a transcription, it's often a broad transcription representing this /eɪ/ diphthong. The pure monophthong /e/ does appear in some English dialects (like Scottish English), where "face" sounds more like "fehss" without the glide.

• Making it too short: Unlike some European languages where /e/ is a quick, steady vowel, the American version needs that gliding movement
• Confusing with /ɛ/: The sound in "bed" (/ɛ/) is lower and more open. For /e/, your tongue sits noticeably higher
• Skipping the glide: Native Spanish or Italian speakers may produce a pure /e/ without the upward movement to /ɪ/, which can sound foreign to American ears

Practice the glide by saying "eh-ee" slowly, then speed it up until it becomes one smooth motion. Words like "day," "make," and "late" are perfect for practice. Record yourself and listen: you should hear the sound shift higher at the end.