/i:/ and /I/ are two front vowel sounds.
A) DESCRIPTION:
/i:/ is a long sound. The front of the tongue is raised to the highest possible point: the lips are spread; the tongue is tense, with the rims making a firm contact with the upper molars.
This is the sound which makes English people smile: when they are taking a photo at people they usually say "CHEESE" so that they appear smiling in the picture.
/I/ is a short sound. The tongue is nearer to centre than to front, raised just above the half-close position; the lips are loosely spread; the tongue is lax, with the side rims making a light contact with the upper molars.
B) COMPARING BOTH SOUNDS
Phonologically, /i:/ and /I/ are distinguished by length, but this is not related to real time duration. Before a voiceless consonant /i:/ can be shortened, in fact as short as /I/: beat-bid. The real difference is that /i:/ is a tense vowel whereas /I/ is a lax vowel.
C) SPELLING:
/i:/: "ee, ea, e, ie, ei, ey, i". For example: see, meat, even, brief, seize, key, machine.
Exceptions: the vowels in these words are also pronounced with /i:/: quay, people, Caesar, phoenix
/I/: "i, y, e, ie, a". For example: sit, crystal, except, sieve, courage.
There are also exceptions. The bold letters in these words are pronounced with /I/: build, busy, women, minute, Sunday, Disney.
D) IDENTIFY THE SOUNDS:
Watch this video:
Watch this video:
E) PRACTICE:
E.1) Tongue twister: decide when to use /i:/ or /I/. Then practice the words individually. Finally, repeat the whole tongue twister:
a) I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit. And on a
slitted sheet I sit. I slit a sheet, a sheet I slit. The sheet I slit, that
sheet was it.
b) If Freaky Fred Found Fifty Feet of Fruit and Fed Forty Feet to his Friend Frank how many Feet of Fruit did Freaky Fred Find?
E.2) Recognize /i:/ and /I/ in this game. Play games 4 and 5. Good luck!
F) TRANSCRIPTION PRACTICE
Do this quizz. Mind the spelling of the words provided and choose /i:/ or /I/.
b) If Freaky Fred Found Fifty Feet of Fruit and Fed Forty Feet to his Friend Frank how many Feet of Fruit did Freaky Fred Find?
E.2) Recognize /i:/ and /I/ in this game. Play games 4 and 5. Good luck!
F) TRANSCRIPTION PRACTICE
Do this quizz. Mind the spelling of the words provided and choose /i:/ or /I/.
Hope you enjoy it!
PS: don't forget to write a comment on this post telling us if you find these exercises helpful.
