Hi guys, today we're going to look at some pronunciation. This is a recent
request from a subscriber and other people have requested it in the past, so
I very much hope that this can help you. Today we are going to look at the short
and long "i" sounds. In other words, the two sounds that are represented by these two
symbols. It's quite important to get these sounds right, because there are
certain words which can cause some embarrassment if you get them wrong.
Before we start, I'd just like to tell you that I'm now giving private classes on italki.
If you'd like to know more, you will find more information in the
description box.
Okay, let's get started. The short "i" sound is represented by this
symbol and it normally corresponds to the letter "i", like in the words "sit" and
"if". The long "i" is represented by this symbol and it often corresponds to
ee, ea, ie and ei. Remember I said "often".
I didn't say "all the time".
Let's now look at this sound: /ɪ/. I think this is the more
difficult one because in a lot of languages it doesn't exist.
This sound is shorter. When we say it, our mouth is very relaxed.
/ɪ/. /ɪ/.
And Americans tend to relax their mouth more than the British.
The tongue is quite low in the mouth and it is also very relaxed.
/ɪ/. /ɪ/.
Say these words after me. We'll practise each one twice.
(saying words)
This one has it twice.
(saying word)
Let's now look at this sound: /iː/.
This sound tends to be easier for people because it exists in many other
languages. Or at least in many other languages there's a very similar sound.
For example, if you speak Spanish, it's just the "i" in Spanish, like in the word "había".
In French it's like the "i" in "six", and in Indonesian it's like the "i"
in "nasi". Nasi goreng!
This sound is longer than the previous sound. To make this
sound your mouth needs to be tighter.
/iː/. /iː/.
The tongue is also a bit higher in the mouth. I think it's more helpful to think
about the cheeks. It's difficult to make this sound if your cheeks aren't a
little bit tight. They don't have to be very tight, they don't have to be like
this, but they'll normally move a little.
/iː/. /iː/.
Whereas for this sound, your cheeks are completely relaxed. /ɪ/. /ɪ/.
/iː/. /ɪ/. /iː/. /ɪ/.
Let's practise this sound. Repeat these words after me. Again I'll say each one twice.
(saying words)
Now let's compare some minimal pairs.
In these words it's just the vowel sound that changes.
(saying words)
Here are some words that have both of the sounds.
(saying words)
I hope that helps a bit. The only way to master these two sounds is to
practise, so watch this video as many times as you need to, and practise saying
the words after me. Take care, guys. I'll see you soon.