Listening A1
Short vs. Long Sounds
Lesson Goals
- Understand that English has "Short" and "Long" vowel sounds.
- Hear the difference between similar words like "Hit" and "Heat".
- Recognize the "Smile Rule" for pronunciation.
In Khmer, the length of a vowel often doesn't change the word's meaning. In English, it changes everything! A short sound and a long sound are completely different words.
1. The Short 'i' vs. Long 'ee'
This is the most common mistake.
- Short /ɪ/: Your face is relaxed. Your mouth is barely open. The sound is short. (e.g., It, Sit, Hit)
- Long /i:/: You must SMILE! Stretch your lips wide. The sound is long. (e.g., Eat, Seat, Heat)
Listen carefully to the pairs:
- Sit (Sit down) vs Seat (A chair)
- Hit (Punch) vs Heat (Hot)
- Ship (Boat) vs Sheep (Animal)
2. The Short 'a' vs. Short 'u'
Another tricky pair involves opening your mouth wide versus keeping it small.
- /æ/ (Cat): Open your mouth wide like you are laughing "Hahaha".
- /ʌ/ (Cut): Relax your mouth. It is a short "uh" sound, like you were punched in the stomach.
Listen carefully:
- Cat (Animal) vs Cut (with a knife)
- Hat (Headwear) vs Hut (Small house)
- Fan (Cool air) vs Fun (Happy time)
Why does it matter?
If you use the wrong length, you might say a bad word or confuse people!
Example: "I want to live here" (Live /lɪv/ = stay) vs "I want to leave here" (Leave /liːv/ = go away).
Practice Activity: The "Smile" Test
Listen to the word. Should you SMILE (Long sound) or RELAX (Short sound)?
- Sleep (Smile?)
- Slip (Relax?)
- Feet (Smile?)
- Fit (Relax?)
Vocabulary List
- Sheep (noun) /ʃiːp/ [ចៀម] - An animal with white wool. (Long sound, Smile!)
- Ship (noun) /ʃɪp/ [កប៉ាល់] - A large boat. (Short sound, Relaxed)
- Vowel (noun) /ˈvaʊəl/ [ស្រៈ] - The sounds A, E, I, O, U.
Your Mission 🎙️
Record yourself saying these pairs. Can you hear the difference?
- Look at that sheep on the ship.
- Don't hit the heat button.
- The cat has a cut on its leg.