EA Words

The Vowel Sounds

You will learn how to accurately pronounce all of the main American English vowel sounds. The English alphabet has 5 vowels, a, e, i, o and u, but it has about 15 main vowel sounds. For some learners this is one of the most difficult aspects of American English to master. Speakers of languages with fewer vowel sounds are likely to speak English using only the same number of sounds that exist in their native language.

Sometimes they do not even hear the distinction between certain sounds in English. Consequently, non-native speakers might pronounce hill and heal the same way. Similarly, the words sell and sale, or cup, cop, and cap may also sound the same when spoken by a non-native speaker.

Because there is not always a direct relationship between how a word is spelled and how it is pronounced, you should become familiar with the phonetic symbols that represent the sounds that you are learning.

Main Vowel Sounds of American English. Please Repeat.

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PRACTICE

PRACTICE

PRACTICE

【i:】⇨ meet

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​【 i: 】⇨ meet

​Lips: Slightly smiling, tense, not rounded.

Tongue: Tense, high and far forward near the roof of the mouth.

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1. The employees agreed to meet at eight fifteen.

2. Don’t keep the TV / ti: vi: / near the heater.

3. It’s extremely easy to cheat when the teacher isn’t here.

4. Please speak to Peter about the employee meeting.

5. Steve will reread the email before he leaves.

Sentences Practice

1. deep sea

2. beans and cheese

3. severe heat

4. breathe deep

5. three meals

6. green leaves

7. extremely easy

8. sweet dreams

9. peaches and cream

10. speak Chinese

Word Pairs Practice

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PRACTICE

PRACTICE

PRACTICE

​【 𝗜 】⇨ sit

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​【 𝗜 】⇨ sit

Lips: Slightly parted, relaxed.

Tongue: Relaxed, high, not as high as /i/. Sides of the tongue touch upper back teeth.

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1. Kim will visit her big sister Linda in Virginia.

2. In the beginning it was difficult for Jim to quit drinking.

3. The Smiths invited him to an informal dinner.

4. This city has an interesting history.

5. When did Bill Clinton visit the Middle East?

Sentences Practice

1. big city

2. innocent victim

3. drink milk

4. children’s film

5. simple living

6. fish and chips

7. trip to Italy

8. spring picnic

9. this thing

10. winter wind

Word Pairs Practice

​Vowel Contrast for / i: / and / ɪ /

	/ i: /	/ ɪ /
1.	leave	live
2.	feel	fill
3.	least	list
4.	he’s	his
5.	sleep	slip
6.	cheap	chip
7.	beat	bit
8.	steal	still
9.	each	itch
10.	seek	sick
11.	feet	fit
12.	sheep	ship

Audio Response

^{Please record yourself reading the following:}

leave - live

feel - fill

least - list

he’s - his

sleep - slip

cheap - chip

Open Audio Recorder

Audio Response

^{Please record yourself reading the following:}

beat - bit

steal - still

each - itch

seek - sick

feet - fit

sheep - ship

Open Audio Recorder

Audio Response

^{Please record yourself reading the following:}

Dip and Deep. I took a dip in the deep sea.

Fit and Feet. Feet ache when shoes do not fit.

Hit and Heat. We were hit hard by the heat wave.

It and Eat. Is it healthy to eat out?

Itch and Each. Each one of us had an itchy rash.

Open Audio Recorder

Multiple Choice

Which word DOESN'T have the sound /i:/ ?

• me

• peach

• tree

• pin

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• bin

• bean

Multiple Choice

This word is pronounced with short /𝗜/:

• tree

• me

• ski

• city

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• chip

• cheap

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• his

• he's

Multiple Choice

fin

• short vowel 𝗜

• long vowel i:

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• sit

• seat

Multiple Choice

This word is pronounced with short /𝗜/:

• mile

• meal

• miss

• meet

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• bit

• beat

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• hill

• he'll

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• sick

• seek

Multiple Choice

chill

• short vowel sound /𝗜/

• long vowel sound /i:/

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• sleep

• slip

Multiple Choice

he

• short vowel sound /𝗜/

• long vowel sound /i:/

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• feel

• fill

Multiple Choice

list

• short vowel sound /𝗜/

• long vowel sound /i:/

Multiple Choice

Which word do you hear?

• mitten

• meeting