American English Sounds
  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors

/ɪ/

LISTEN

listen_to_-i-.mp3
File Size: 261 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/ɪ/.../ɪ/.../ɪ/.../ɪ/...

sit...pick...listen...middle...

WHAT IS IT?

Pronunciation:
The sound /ɪ/ is a high, front, lax ​vowel.
  • Lift your tongue to the top of your mouth.
  • Spread your lips wide, like a smile.
  • Let your tongue relax
  • Breathe out and let your vocal cords vibrate.
​
stressed_-i-.mp3
File Size: 111 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

This vowel is usually stressed, as in these words:
  • middle
  • listen
  • convi​nce
unstressed_-i-.mp3
File Size: 61 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

However, /ɪ/ can also be unstressed. In an unstressed syllable, /ɪ/ is pronounced quickly and softly.
  • artist
  • looking
  • impossible

Spelling:
  • "i"  - it, little
  • "y" - symbol, mystery
  • "u" - busy, business 
  • "ui" - build, biscuit

Grammar Tip:
The sound /ɪ/ occurs in the common prefixes “im-“ and “in-“. These prefixes usually occur at the beginning of a verb or adjective. The vowel /ɪ/ is usually unstressed in the prefix, though not always.
i_grammar1.mp3
File Size: 264 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

  • "im-": 
    • ​important
    • impossible
    • ​improvise
i_grammar2.mp3
File Size: 261 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

  • "in-": 
    • ​infer, 
    • invite, 
    • ​indicate

COMPARE

Compare /ɪ/ with /iy/:
compare_i-iy_1.mp3
File Size: 102 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/ɪ/.../iy/.../ɪ/.../iy/.../ɪ/.../iy/...

​​These are both high, front vowels. However, /ɪ/ is pronounced with a relaxed tongue and /iy/ is pronounced with a tense tongue.


You can hear the difference between /ɪ/ and /iy/ in these words.
compare_i-iy_words2.mp3
File Size: 144 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. bit, B. beat
2. A. grin, B. green

​3. A. pill, B. peel
4. A. litter, B. leader
5. A. risen, B. reason
6. A. filling, B. feeling

​Practice recognizing words with /ɪ/ and
/iy/ by taking the quiz below.

​Now, compare /ɪ/ with /ɛ/:
compare_i-e_1.mp3
File Size: 111 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

/ɪ/…/ɛ/…/ɪ/…/ɛ/…/ɪ/…/ɛ/…

These are both lax, front vowels. However, /ɪ/ is a high vowel, and /ɛ/ is a mid vowel.

​You can hear the difference between /ɪ/ and /ɛ/ in these words.
compare_i-e_words2.mp3
File Size: 232 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. A. sit, B. set
2. A. lift, B. left
4. A. pin, B. pen
5. A. fill, B. fell
3. A. listen, B. lesson
6. A. bitter, B. better

​Practice recognizing words with /ɪ/ and /ɛ/ by taking the quiz below.

PRACTICE

Listen and repeat these words:
words_with_-i-.mp3
File Size: 535 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. slip
2. fit
3. sick
4. pig
5. miss
6. give
7. lift
8. sin
9. limb
10. fill
11. slipper
12. blister
13. mitten
14. artist
15. pity
16. winter
17. important
18. convince
19. distribute
20. invisible

​

Now, practice /ɪ/ in sentences. Say the words first, then the sentences.
sentences_with_-i-.mp3
File Size: 1257 kb
File Type: mp3
Download File

1. visit - sister – sit - kitchen
When I visit my sister, we sit in the kitchen.
2. 
sick – picking – mittens
I’m sick of picking up your mittens.

3. lip – sipping – milk
I burned my lip by sipping hot milk.
4. 
river - isn't - swim - in
The river isn't deep enough to swim in.

5. list – picks - film
Can you list your top picks for best film?

6. city – visitor’s – sixth
​We’re at the city visitor’s center on Sixth Street.

To practice with different varieties of English, choose another native English speaker by clicking one of the links below:
  • Male 1 (US Midwest - St Louis) - words, sentences
  • Male 2 (US Midwest - Iowa) - words, sentences
  • Male 3 (US Midwest) - words, sentences
  • Female 1 (US Northeast) - words, sentences
  • Female 2 (US Southeast) - words, sentences

USE It!

​Practice the task below. Then, record yourself completing that task. Give your recording to a teacher or an English-speaking friend for feedback.

Prepare​:
What can you do on a cold winter day? Choose 3 things you'd want to do.
  • Build an igloo or snow fort
  • Stay inside and listen to music
  • Decorate for Christmas​
  • Visit friends
  • Search for interesting icicles
  • Sip a hot drink​
  • Build a snowman
  • Make gifts for friends
  • Go downhill skiing
  • Go ice fishing
  • Discover decorating ideas on Pinterest  
  • Learn how to knit
  • Build an igloo or snow fort
  • Stay inside and listen to music
  • Decorate for Christmas​
  • Visit friends
  • Search for interesting icicles
  • Sip a hot drink​
  • Build a snowman
  • Make gifts for friends
  • Go downhill skiing
  • Go ice fishing
  • Discover decorating ideas on Pinterest  
  • Learn how to knit

Record:
​Imagine that you’re telling a roommate or family member what you should do together on a winter day. In your recording, present a plan for the day with 3 ideas from the list. Explain each idea with details.

©2018-2021, Christine Wingate
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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  • Home
  • Vowels
    • VOWEL CHART
    • Front >
      • /iy/ (see, keep)
      • /ɪ/ (sit, pick)
      • /ey/ (take, name)
      • /ɛ/ (pet, tell)
      • /æ/ (sat, past)
    • Central >
      • /ɜr/ (church, nurse)
      • /ər/ (mother, surprise)
      • /ʌ/ (cup, must)
      • /ə/ (about, undo)
      • /ɑ/ (stop, job)
    • Back >
      • /ʊ/ (good, put)
      • /uw/ (food, soon)
      • /ɔ/ (bought, lost)
      • /ow/ (low, coat)
    • Diphthongs >
      • /ɑɪ/ (light, pie)
      • /ɑʊ/ (cow, loud)
      • /ɔɪ/ (boy, voice)
  • Consonants
    • CONSONANT CHART
    • Lips (Bilabial) >
      • /p/ (peace, price)
      • /b/ (buy, brain)
      • /m/ (map, time)
      • /w/ (wait, win)
    • Lips-Teeth (Labio-dental) >
      • /f/ (fix, friend)
      • /v/ (vase, love)
    • Tongue-Teeth (Dental) >
      • /θ/ (thank, bath)
      • /ð/ (this, breathe)
    • Tongue-Gum Ridge (Alveolar) >
      • /t/ (take, stand)
      • /d/ (day, drive)
      • /s/ (sit, race)
      • /z/ (zoo, these)
      • /l/ (less, sleep)
      • /n/ (nice, man)
    • Tongue-Palate (Palatal) >
      • /ʃ/ (push, show)
      • /ʒ/ (measure, vision)
      • /tʃ/ (choose, match)
      • /dʒ/ (juice, edge)
      • /r/ (rose, borrow)
      • /y/ (yes, young)
    • Tongue-Soft Palate (Velar) >
      • /k/ (kiss, cat)
      • /g/ (gas, green)
      • /ŋ/ (hang, long)
    • Throat (Glottal) >
      • /h/ (help, hand)
  • Resources
    • Pronunciation Vocabulary
    • For Students
    • For Instructors