These compounds can be described as involving the alkali metals losing electrons to acceptor species and forming monopositive ions.
ðiːz kˈɑːmpaʊndz kæn biː dᵻskɹˈaɪbd æz ɪnvˈɑːlvɪŋ ðɪ ˈælkəlˌaɪ mˈɛɾəlz lˈuːzɪŋ ᵻlˈɛktɹɑːnz tʊ ɐksˈɛptɚ spˈiːsiːz ænd fˈɔːɹmɪŋ mˌɑːnoʊpˈɑːzᵻtˌɪv ˈaɪɑːnz.