"Aye, eh, AY"??

[MynameisnotDeja]

Hey everyone, I was wondering what peoples opinions are on writing dialogue and the use of the word eh.

A lot of people I know, especially guys, use the word "eh,aye,ay" a lot when they are talking, like:

"What up ay?" or "What the hell you doing, ay?!"

I was wondering what the proper way to spell that expression would be.

In my book I had it written as "aye" but people were telling my that made it look like it as said: "eye" like "aye aye captain".

Some have suggested "Eh", but that really bothers me because when I write "Eh" on messenger or in letters, or when me and my friends say it, we generally mean it like "Eh, I dunno" kinda a response equal to shrugging or something.

Is "Ay" an appropriate way to write this expression? Or IS there a way?

It's pretty important because one of my characters use it a lot and I wouldn't feel like he was talking right if I took all of it out.

Gimme your opinions!

 

[Mehm]

I take it you mean this as Canadians say, "lets go watch some puck, ehh?" That's how I would spell it.

Or do your friends have a more Latino flavor when they say it?

 

[New]

It's a pronunciation that's tricky to convey due to it's length, but I think "ay" would come the closest to your intended meaning.

 

[MynameisnotDeja]

Yeah its more like Ay, like almost replaceable with "dude" or "bro"

Like "what the hell u doing ay" or "check her out ay"

Ha this is sooo frustrating. It says on the web that "ay" is pronounced "eye" too.

 

[toa$t]

eh is what you are looking for. 100%.

 

[Lysis]

Stephen King always writes "yup" or "yep" as "ayup" which is annoying! lol

Aye is "affirmative" to me. I think "eh" is the way to go.

 

[MynameisnotDeja]

All right, if that is how other people see it, I will write it as "eh" even though it looks terribly, horribly wrong to me lol. I will just have to get used to it.

Thanks!

 

[ControlDenied]

lol... i think "aye" is for books from the UK or about pirates

 

[MynameisnotDeja]

Hah yeah, it just seems different to me. But I'm re-training my mind and now "eh" looks better.

 

[L2R]

"eh" doesn't work for me. it's is too akin to "meh". i use "aye" and depending on the character and context it can be read as you intend it "-ayee" or as a term of agreement "eye".