Practice the front vowels, i vs ɪ
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| This is the i sound. And this is the ɪ sound — both extremely important vowel sounds in American English. By the end of this lesson, you'll be able to tell them apart, PLUS you'll be practicing them and on your way to perfect pronunciation! |
| I'm Alisha, and this is English Pronunciation Through Minimal Pairs. |
| First is i. This is the e sound in "eat," "read," "feel" and other words. |
| ɪ is the i sound in "it," "rid," fill," and other words. |
| i and ɪ are called "front vowels" because they are pronounced in the front part of your mouth. |
| To make the i sound: the teeth move slightly apart, the lips pull far back. And the front of the tongue moves up. |
| The tongue does not touch the teeth or the roof of the mouth. |
| i |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i |
| i |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i |
| To make the ɪ sound: the lips and teeth part slightly. |
| The front of the tongue moves toward the roof of the mouth. |
| ɪ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɪ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɪ |
| ɪ |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɪ (enunciated) |
| [3 sec pause] |
| ɪ |
| Learners tend to think the difference between these two sounds is about how long the vowel sound is. |
| But really, it's about the quality of the vowel sound. |
| /i/ is more tensed, and /ɪ/ is more relaxed. |
| When you say the vowel /i/, like in "beat," |
| your tongue is high up and towards the front of your mouth, |
| and your lips are stretched out more. |
| For the vowel /ɪ/, like in "bit," |
| your tongue is a bit lower, and your lips are more relaxed. |
| So, it's not about how long you hold the sound, |
| but more about the position of your tongue and how you shape your lips. |
| Listen to the difference and repeat after me. |
| i ɪ. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i ɪ (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i ɪ. |
| i ɪ. |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i ɪ (enunciated). |
| [3 sec pause] |
| i ɪ. |
| So, try to focus on the tenseness instead of the length when you pronounce these two sounds. |
| Listen and repeat or speak along with me. |
| Ready? |
| beat/bit |
| (space for repetition) |
| beat/bit |
| sheep/ship |
| (space for repetition) |
| sheep/ship |
| Let's review. Respond to the prompts by speaking aloud. Then, repeat after me, focusing on pronunciation. |
| Do you remember the sound that's more relaxed? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| ɪ |
| (1) |
| ɪ |
| And the more tensed sound? |
| (3) |
| (2) |
| (1) |
| i |
| (1) |
| i |
| Let's practice. |
| Compare the sounds in these two words. Which word has the more tensed sound, and which has the more relaxed sound? |
| beat/bit |
| (1) |
| beat/bit |
| (1) |
| "Beat" has the more tensed sound, and "bit" has the more relaxed sound. |
| Let's try another. |
| sheep/ship |
| (1) |
| sheep/ship |
| (1) |
| "Ship" has the more relaxed sound, and "sheep" has the more tensed sound. |
| Let's try one more. |
| feel/fill |
| (1) |
| feel/fill |
| (1) |
| "Fill" has the more relaxed sound, and "feel" has the more tensed sound. |
| Now, listen to the following sentences. Which words have the more relaxed sound, and which have the more tensed sound? |
| I want to eat it all up! |
| (3 sec pause) |
| I had to read the book before I got rid of it. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Read the following sentence out loud, focusing on the different sounds. |
| (pause) |
| The reach of the rich was far and wide. |
| (3 sec pause) |
| Here's a special resource just for you… |
| If you want to master these minimal pairs even faster… |
| Download our English Minimal Pairs Explained Companion eBook for FREE |
| This bonus eBook contains even more examples that are not in this video. |
| Just click the link in the comments section. |
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