The Most Commonly Mispronounced VOWEL Sound

There are 5 vowels in the English language, yet there are 14 vowel sounds, 13 of which can be found in American English. Without a doubt, the most commonly mispronounced vowel sound is 'ɪ' (as in ship), and students usually replace it with 'i:' (as in sheep), which results in miscommunication such as the following:

• Where do you live?
• I leave next weekend.
• No, WHERE do you LIVE...?
• Oh!  I live in a student apartment downtown.

In order to avoid exchanges like this, check out my tips below for pronouncing the tricky 'ɪ' sound.  Remember that the pronunciation learning process is not just speaking--it is also listening.  Being able to hear and recognize each distinct sound is the first step.  Once your ear can distinguish 'ɪ' from 'i:', then you can learn how to articulate each sound properly by imitating or mimicking the sound. 


PRONUNCIATION TIPS: 'ɪ' vs. 'i:'

i: (as in sheep)

• This is a LONG sound. 
• This sound is articulated in the FRONT of the mouth.
• The mouth is ALMOST CLOSED.
• The tongue touches the top of the mouth.

ɪ (as in ship)

• This is a SHORT sound.
• The sound is articulated in the MIDDLE of the mouth.
• The mouth is SLIGHTLY OPEN.
• The tongue pushes downward slightly.

Okay, enough of the descriptions!  Try these pronunciation pairs for practice:

eat/it
he's/his
seat/sit
leap/lip
feet/fit
feel/fill
heel/hill
leave/live
wheel/will
steal/still