The digraph < ai > or < ay > again

The word 'klais' rhymes with 'place', if you want to anglicize it.

In English, < ai > or is usually realized as /eɪ/ ( FACE set)). There are some exceptions, of course. Even among these exceptions, you can further systematize.

1. 'plaid' is pronounced as /plæd/
2. German names like Kaiser are pronounced with /aɪ/ ( PRICE lexical set)
3. 'quay' can be pronounced with /i/ (FLEECE set). One can stick with /eɪ/ here
4 Before r, /ɛɚ/
5. < ayV> where there is no internal word boundary between y and V: here, you can hear sonorant gemination, followed by degemination. In southern states phonetics, this plays out differently.

Mary Hayashi, a California politician: /haɪ ˈæʃi/
Joe Arpaio, a sheriff from Arizona: /ˈɑɚpaɪ ˌoʊ/
bayou: /ˈbaɪ u/ (there exists another variant)
Maya: /ˈmaɪ ə/ (there exists another variant)
Zayin: /ˈzaɪ n/ (there is another varian)
papaya: /pə 'paɪ ə/
Kayak: /ˈkaɪ ˌæk/
Avaya Communications: /ə ˈvaɪ ə/

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