differences between long /i:/ and short /i/

Many students have problems distinguishing two vowels /i:/, sometimes written as /iy/ (e.g. – cheese and feed), and /i/ (e.g. – bit and kit).

What’s the difference? /iy/ is longer.  This vowel begins as an /i/ and then it becomes a /y/.  For the /y/ portion, the lips are stretched out if you say it carefully.  /i/ is shorter.  There is no change in the quality of this vowel, so the lips are not stretched out at the end.

Some minimal pairs (word pairs which are the same except for one sound) for these vowels are the following (the first word in the pair is /iy/ and the second one is /i/):

bead/bid     lead/lid      green/grin      bean/bin

To see the difference in lip position and to hear the differences between these vowels, please watch this video:

 

questions with long /i:/ and short /i/

English learners often mix up two similar vowels – /i:/, sometimes written as /iy/ (as a phonetic symbol) and /i/.  Examples of words with an /i:/ sound are cheese, seed, and need.  Examples of words with an /i/ sound are sit, did and fit.  The /i:/ vowel is often written as <ee> or <ea>.  The /i/ vowel is often written as <i>.

What is the difference phonetically?  /i:/ is longer than /i/.  It’s longer because /i:/ starts as an i then becomes a y, so in a way, it has two sounds.  It’s called a diphthong.  Because it ends in a y, at the end of this vowel, your lips are more spread or stretched than for /i/.

Please watch the video below for some examples of words with these two vowels, within questions.  For some useful practice, record your own pronunciation of the words with these vowels, and compare your pronunciation with my pronunciation.  This will help you to become more aware of how well you pronounce these two vowels.