#  -eigh words 

 



 There are not many instances of *-eigh-* or *-aigh*- words: *eight, height, neighbor, weigh, straight* are the most common. *Height* in particular had two variant pronunciations going back to Middle English, yielding differing pronunciations in the early Modern period:

Sort    Middle English pronunciation / spelling

 

  Modern English pronunciation / spelling

 

    aɪ

 

  height

 

  ɛ: (later e:)

 

  height

 

    i:

 

  ɘɪ (later aɪ)

 

 



 The lower variant in the table (beginning with the long \[i:\] in late Middle English) is the one that won out with *height*. With the other words listed (*eight, neighbor, weigh, straight*) the upper variant was followed exclusively, yielding the pronunciation we have today.