/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.
Hi We are Sergio Garcia and Adrian Ramirez and we saw this video and did the exercises and we think that it's very difficult to say correctly these different sounds.
ReplyDeletehello!!jenifer and daniel.
ReplyDeletethe video is the good option for learn more about the pronunciation
bye!!:)
Hello, we are Alba and Sara, we have done the Tongue twister and is very easy. Besides is good for pronuntiation
ReplyDeleteHi We are Jose and Eduardo and we saw this video and did the exercises and we think that it's very easy.
ReplyDeleteHi we´re Ainhoa and Marien and we have watched the video, an it´s very funny and likely.
ReplyDeleteThis is very helpful blogs.........Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good lesson because the video is very enjoy and i can practise my english pronunciation. It also seems that the game is funny and we can listend and improve our english.
ReplyDeleteAimee Martin B1ºC
Hi. I´m Irene Jiménez 1ºBach. A.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion the game and the video is good as we learn to distinguish words spoken with /i:/ and with /I/.
Hi, I´m Pablo Fernandez. In mi opinion its a very useful and interesting video and game to learn the /i/ and/I/ sounds
ReplyDeleteI'm Irene Hormigos and I think this game is funny and good to learn pronunciation.
ReplyDeleteHi. I´m Leticia León B-1ºA
ReplyDeleteI think this game is very interesting and educational. It´s incredible.
hi! I think that this exercise is very difficult for spanish people because is difficult to difference the long with the short
ReplyDeleteHello ! I´m Laura
ReplyDeleteI think that this exercise is a good form to learnt to have got good pronunciation.
Hi, i'm Lucia
ReplyDeleteI think this game/exercise is entertaining and good to practice.
Hi, I'm Angela
ReplyDeleteI think this game/exercise is good for the pronunciation and for the memory.
In my opinion this lesson is very good for practice it´s explain very well when you said i or I and i think that you know whit this how you need used the mouth and teeth.
ReplyDeleteIs a good help.
Debora Barrera 1ºBach C
In my opinion is very important for practice my pronuntiation
ReplyDeleteElsa Sánchez 1 BACH C
in mi opinion is a very good exercise beacause is practical for use in class
ReplyDeletejonathan herrero b1ºc
this exercise is very practical because is good have a good pronuntiation!!
ReplyDeletefor me is a good video because it teach you very good how to have a good pronutiation
ReplyDeleteIvan Torres B1A
Hi, I´m Aida from 1ºBach A. I think that this video are very useful and interesting to learn the pronunciation. ^_^
ReplyDeletein my opinion it is very interesting to know how to pronounce these words
ReplyDeleteAYSHA SAGNIA
Hi ! I´m Noelia Rupakohó
ReplyDeleteI find this exercise very useful to learn about the differnts of the soun /I/ and /:I/
In my opinion, this video is interesting to know the pronunciation for these words, because if we know the pronuonce, we'll can speak better
ReplyDeleteCarlos Rupakohó
This quiz is very easy because if you know the two sounds you would know how to do the exercise
ReplyDeletethis exercise about these sounds is easy to pronounce!!
ReplyDeleteThat quiz is very good because it is interesting and easy
ReplyDeleteIvan Torres B1A
the exercise is very good but very easy
ReplyDeletejonathan herrero b1ºc
This quiz which I've already done I found it very interesting, because I had some mistakes
ReplyDeleteCarlos Rupakohó