ɪ
Vowel
/ɪ/ — Near-close near-front vowel
Example words
| Word | US English | UK English |
|---|---|---|
| sit | /ˈsɪt/ | /sɪt/ |
| bit | /ˈbɪt/ | /bɪt/ |
| ship | /ˈʃɪp/ | /ʃɪp/ |
| big | /ˈbɪɡ/ | /bɪɡ/ |
| fish | /ˈfɪʃ/ | /fɪʃ/ |
| milk | /ˈmɪlk/ | /mɪlk/ |
| gift | /ˈɡɪft/ | /ɡɪft/ |
| hit | /ˈhɪt/ | /hɪt/ |
| if | /ˈɪf/ | /ɪf/ |
| kid | /ˈkɪd/ | /kɪd/ |
Transcriptions come from pronunciation lexicons IPAtics maintains, in US and UK English.
How to produce this sound
SoundNear-close near-front vowel.
TongueKeep the tongue body high in the mouth for this vowel target. Shape the tongue body toward the front of the mouth.
LipsKeep lips neutral or lightly spread; avoid accidental rounding.
JawKeep the jaw relatively high (small opening) without clenching.
VoiceKeep voicing continuous and even through the segment.
Minimal pairs
Each pair differs only in /ɪ/, so hearing them side by side isolates the sound.
- ship/ˈʃɪp/sheep/ˈʃip/
- fill/ˈfɪl/feel/ˈfil/
Spelling patterns
- i as in sit
Common mistakes for Turkish and Arabic speakers
- Turkish speakers: Turkish has no long/short vowel pair here, so "ship" and "sheep" can sound alike.Source: Swan & Smith (eds.), Learner English, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2001), chapter "Turkish speakers"
- Arabic speakers: /ɪ/ and /e/ are easily confused, so "bit" can sound like "bet".Source: Swan & Smith (eds.), Learner English, 2nd ed. (Cambridge University Press, 2001), chapter "Arabic speakers"
Practise this sound
- ConverterEnglish to IPA converter
- In Turkishİngilizce Telaffuz Rehberi — Türkler İçin IPA ile Başlangıç
- In GermanEnglische Aussprache für Deutsche: die fünf Fallen
- In Arabicالحروف المتحركة والصامتة في الإنجليزية وأصواتها
- In SpanishPronunciación en inglés para hispanohablantes
- In FrenchPrononciation anglaise : erreurs des francophones
- In PortuguesePronúncia em inglês para brasileiros: erros comuns
- In ItalianPronuncia inglese per italiani: gli errori tipici
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