The Short I sound can make a significant impact on your speech. So often, this sound is expressed as ee in the word see, but the English short I is a soft sound with no wideness in the lips. It is much more similar to a schwa sound. Imagine a low pitch and create a short sound; the inside of your mouth should be slightly tense, but in a square rather than rectangular shape. Your tongue should be neutral, not tense.
The two sounds of I in English are the Short I as in sit and the Long I as in light. The ee sound does occur with an I spelling but it is rare. It occurs in some suffixes like -ia in the word criteria. Usually we associate ee with the letter E.
Practice the Schwa, the Short E and the Short I sounds together to express the difference here.
Practice with the video here.
| implement | mission |
| privilege | trigger |
| foreign | principal |
| mischievous | physics |
| trip | filter |
| simplify | typical |
| skill | minimize |
| listener | different |
| script | victim |
| instinct | hidden |
| tip | illustrate |
| still | active |
| risk | trivia |
| fixed | cynical |
| mister | |
| victory | dignity |
| discipline | medicine |
| quiz | list |
| did | intrigue |
| synonym | antonym |
| primitive | quantitative |
| sensitive | credit |
Words with stress on the 2nd syllable: diplomacy, facilitate, intelligence, reciprocal, resist, immediately, efficient, considerably, determine, imagine, activity, admit, accomplishment, let’s skip it
Words with stress on the 3rd syllable: recognition, independence, disconnect, inclination, definition, insignificant, possibility, sensitivity, obligation.
Words with stress on the 4th syllable: intimidation, integral part of, respectability, specification, enthusiastic.
Words with stress on the 5th syllable: reconciliation.
Stress Both Words: quick fix, big win
Stress on 1st syllable when Noun: insult, impress.
Stress on 2nd syllable when Verb: insult, impress.
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