Speaking: Pronunciation A2
Basic Vowel Sound Distinction
Listen to the examples here.
Why Vowel Sounds Are Important 🗣️
A small change in a vowel sound can completely change the meaning of a word. We will practice with minimal pairs - two words that are different by only one sound.
Minimal Pair: Short /ɪ/ vs. Long /iː/ (Click 🔊)
sit
/sɪt/
🪑 Verb: to be on a chair
seat
/siːt/
🪑 Noun: a chair
live
/lɪv/
🏠 Verb: to have your home
leave
/liːv/
➡️ Verb: to go away
ship
/ʃɪp/
🚢 Noun: a big boat
sheep
/ʃiːp/
🐑 Noun: an animal
How to Make the Sounds
💡 Pronunciation Focus: Mouth Position
Short /ɪ/ vs. Long /iː/
- For /ɪ/ (in sit): Your mouth is relaxed. The sound is short and from your throat. It's a "lazy" sound. Listen: ih... ih... sit.
- For /iː/ (in seat): Your mouth becomes wide, like a smile. Your tongue is high. The sound is long. Listen: eee... eee... seat.
Another Common Pair: /æ/ vs. /e/
- For /æ/ (in bad): Open your mouth wide and drop your jaw down. Listen: aah... bad.
- For /e/ (in bed): Your mouth is relaxed and not very open. Listen: eh... bed.
❗ Why It Matters: Different Sound, Different Meaning
Using the wrong vowel can cause confusion. Listen to these sentences:
- "Please have a seat." (Offering a chair.)
- "The sheep is on the big ship." (The animal is on the boat.)
- "I'm tired. I'm going to bed." (I will go to sleep.)
Practice the Vowels 🎯
Activity 1: Which Word Do You Hear? 👂 (Self-Check)
Click 🔊 to hear one word from the pair. Click the button for the word you heard. Check your answer!
Activity 2: Read the Sentences Aloud
Practice saying these sentences. Focus on making the two different vowel sounds clearly. Click 🔊 to listen first.
- Please sit in this seat.
- Don't leave where you live.
- The black sheep is on the big ship.
- Is that a bed or a bad cat?
Vocabulary
- Vowel The letters a, e, i, o, u, and the sounds they make.
- Minimal Pair Two words that are different by only one sound (e.g., sit/seat).
- Sit Verb: to rest your body on a chair or the ground. Sound: /sɪt/ (short).
- Seat Noun: a place to sit, like a chair. Sound: /siːt/ (long).
- Live Verb: to have your home somewhere. Sound: /lɪv/ (short).
- Leave Verb: to go away from a place. Sound: /liːv/ (long).
- Ship Noun: a large boat that travels on the sea. Sound: /ʃɪp/ (short).
- Sheep Noun: an animal with thick wool. Sound: /ʃiːp/ (long).
- Bad Adjective: not good. Sound: /bæd/ (wide mouth).
- Bed Noun: furniture you sleep on. Sound: /bed/ (relaxed mouth).
Your Pronunciation Mission ⭐
This week, your mission is to master the "sit" /ɪ/ and "seat" /iː/ sounds.
- Find a mirror. Look at your mouth as you say the sounds. For "seat", your mouth should be wide (a smile). For "sit", it should be relaxed.
- Listen to the examples again. Try to clearly say: "ship", "sheep", "live", "leave".
- Teach a friend the difference between these two sounds. Teaching is the best way to learn!