Adonai

Adonai is pronounced ah-DOE-nai with the stress on the second syllable. In IPA for US English, /ˌæ.dəˈnaɪ/ or closer to /əˈdoʊ.naɪ/ depending on transliteration, but most biblical readings favor a two-beat cadence: a-doh-nai, with a clear diphthong in the final syllable. Start with a relaxed schwa in the first syllable, then a long O in the second, finishing with a crisp I. Audio references: listen to liturgical readings or choral performances to hear the two-syllable rhythm and solemn vowel quality.

Common errors include flattening the first syllable to /æ/ without the schwa; over-manipulating the second syllable into /æɪ/ instead of a clean /aɪ/ or /naɪ/; and misplacing stress, giving Ad-o-NAI or a-DO-nai with even emphasis. Correct by stabilizing the first syllable with a light /ə/ or /æ/ depending on tradition, delivering the second syllable with a clear /ˈnaɪ/ and aligning the main stress on that final syllable. Practice with minimal pairs to feel the shift between syllables and maintain the sacred cadence.

In US pronunciation you may hear /əˈdoʊ.naɪ/ with a rhotic 'r'-less but rounded final vowel; UK tends to /əˈdɒn.aɪ/ with fronted /ɒ/ and non-rhoticity; Australian often aligns closer to US but with a broader vowel in the first syllable and a slightly clipped /naɪ/. Across all, the final /naɪ/ is consistent; the key differences lie in the first vowel and the distribution of r-coloring and vowel length, reflecting regional vowel shifts. Always listen to liturgical recordings in the target community for authentic cadence.

Difficulties center on the discreet vowel changes and sacred register. The first syllable often features a reduced vowel (/ə/), which can be unfamiliar to speakers who expect full vowels; the second syllable requires a clean diphthong /ɔʊ/ or /oʊ/ followed by /naɪ/ without inserting extra syllables. Also, the two-syllable cadence with strong final syllable stress is unfamiliar to learners used to stress-timed English patterns. Practicing slow, then fast while maintaining the sacred pause helps.

Adonai’s pronunciation hinges on treating the term as a proper, sacred name rather than a common noun. The final -ai is not simply ‘eye’ but a stylized, tight diphthong that stops short of a glottal stop. You should avoid turning Adonai into a three-syllable word; keep it as two crisp beats: a-do-nai, with the stress peaking on nai. This careful treatment yields a reverent, stable sound consistent with liturgical traditions.