Hi everyone, welcome to Pronunciation with Emma.
This video is probably the most requested video that I've had for months, pretty much
since I started my Instagram page, which if you're not following you should.
I post daily videos on how to improve your British English pronunciation and listening
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So I'm gonna (going to) be comparing the sounds /ɪ/ and /iː/.
So you're never going to confuse the two sounds and say some bad English words, and we know
which words we're talking about, don't we?
We know.
We know which ones.
[Intro music].
So let's just start with that first one, /ɪ/.
It's a very short sound.
My tongue is quite flat, as well.
It's not really doing much inside my mouth.
And my mouth is also not spread it's not "i", but /ɪ/.
My lips are quite relaxed.
So just some example words, we have "if".
I don't say "if", but "if".
Another word is "in", not "in", "in".
"It", not "it" cause (because) then that sounds like "eat" as in "to eat something", but "it".
Now this word is "busy".
Not "buizy", which I've heard quite a lot, I don't know why.
Why do..
why do you say it like that?
So it's "busy".
So this word actually has the sound twice, one is stressed and one is unstressed.
So we have "women".
So not "women", but "women".
This one is "marriage".
So not "marr-age" or "marriage" , but "marriage".
So with /iː/ we have "easy".
Notice that my mouth is more spread this time, "i", "easy".
And my tongue also comes up just slightly at the sides so the side parts are touching
the top of my mouth.
So just to compare, if I were to use the other sound it would sound like "izi".
Don't be scared to make it quite long.
It has two those little dots for a reason, and those two little dots mean that it's a
long sound.
This one is "evening".
So not "iv-ning", but "evening".
This one is "equal", so to compare with the short sound "i-qual".
So in medial position we have "these", not "thiz", but "these".
We also have "people".
"Teach", so not "titch".
And in final position we have "key".
Also, "ski".
Careful Spanish speakers that you're not saying "eski".
If you're having problems and you do say "eski" then make sure you just elongate that first
/s/ sound.
"Ski".
It will really help you, and over time I promise it will get better and you won't have to stop
mid sentence and say "sssssski".
You know, it does get better over time.
But just to practise, "Ski".
And this one, "agree".
So sometimes you'll find this /iː/ sound at the end of words but it's a little bit
shorter, for example "coffee".
I don't say "coffeeee".
Another is "happy".
So let's go through some minimal pairs.
Minimal pairs are when you have two words where only one sound is different.
It is not related to the spelling, it's only the sound.
So let's go through and talk about some minimal pairs, just so you can hear the difference.
So as a little challenge what I'm going to do is I'm going to read you some words and
I'd like you to write down in the comments what you think I said.
Okay?
Are you ready?
Let's have a go.
So that's that.
Don't forget to write down in the comments and I will also include the answers later
in the description so you can check.
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That's all.
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Have a fantastic week and I will see you next lesson.
Goodbye.
So you sometimes you'll find this /iː/ sound at the end of words, but it's a little bit
shorter, for example "coffee" [pauses for some strange unknown reason] for example "coffee".
I don't say "coffeee".
And I don't say "kofe".
But I say "coffee".