The sounds in "head" and "hate"

We make the sound in "head" with our mouth open wider than for /i/ or /I/ and our tongues not as close to the top of our mouths.

The sound in "hate" is actually a dipthong, which means it is a combination of the sounds /e/ and /I/. You can feel your tongue moving closer to the roof of your mouth when you say it.

Now let's listen to some sounds!

"head" sounds: head shepherd leg met

"hate" sounds: hate shape lake mate