i
To produce: With your lips retracted, raise your tongue high and shift it forwad slightly.
Feel your tongue slides of your mouth as your produce this long vowel sound.
Listen
- -- ----
beat bead be/bee
feet/fete feed fee
Practice the vowel /i/ as you focus on length. Repeat:
keep - keen - key
neat - need - knee
seek - seam/seem - sea/see
teach - team - tea/tee
The following words contain both the vowel /i/ and the schwa.
Repeat:
decent reason appeal complete
even recent appear machine
evil season believe police
I
To produce: With your lips retracted very slightly, raise your tongue mid-high in front so that its sides touch the upper side teech. Keep the tongue relaxed.
To find the right placement for /I/, move your tongue between vowels /i/ and /ə/.
This vowel occurs frequently in English speech. It is a new sound for many non-native speakers of the language. Listen
- --
hit hid
lit lid
wit win
Practice /I/ as you focus on its length. Repeat:
- --
it in
hint him
mitt mid
sit sin
Synonyms - Practice the vowel /I/ in synonyms. After you hear A, and B, repeat B.
A B
boundary limit
danger risk
large big
occupied busy
terminate finish
intimidate inhibit
This time after you hear A, you say B. Then listen to the model.
A B
excavate dig
strike hit
smooth kiss
wealthy rich
Contrast: /i/ - /I/
Can you differentiate between these sounds? Listen to word pairs.
You will hear one word again. Which is it?
deed ---- did ---- feet ---- fit ---- heat --- hit ---
Answers: deed fit hit
Practice words and sentences with both vowels /i/ and /I/. Repeat, and listen again
to the sentence each time.
bean - been The bean has been planted.
is --- ease It is done with ease.
sit --- seat Let's sit in that seat.
did --- deed Who did that deed?
will --- wheel I will turn the wheel.
fit --- feet Will they fit your feet?
it --- eat It will not eat.
Practice alternating between vowels /I/ and /i/ in sentences. Feel your tongue relax for /I/ and sense for /i/. Repeat:
He did eat it. /i, I, i, I/
He will meet this niece. /i, I, i, I, i/
Did she give me this? /I, i, I, i, I/
He will need his jeans. /i, I, i, I, i/
Steve will leave it clean. /i, I, i, I, i/
Will he fill these bins? /I, i, I, i, I/
Antonyms - Practice contrasting vowels /I/ and /i/ in antonyms. After you hear A, select its antonym in B. You will hear a model after.
A B
arrive live/leave
didn't did/deed
poor rich/reach
head fit/feet
die live/leave
unfit fit/feet
Answers: arrive - leave didn't - did poor - rich head - feet die - live unfit - fit
Contrast: /I/ - /ʌ/
Can you differentiate between these sounds? Listen to word pairs. You will hear one word again. Which is it?
been --- bun --- him --- hum --- sin --- son/sun ----
Answers: been him sin
Repeat these words and sentences. LIsten again t the sentence each time.
big - bug How big is the bug?
him - hum I heard him sing and hum.
win - one Win that one.
tin - ton The tin weighs a ton.
Practice words with both vowels /I/ and /ə/. Repeat:
admit minute
commit timid
unfit women
Source: The American Accent Guide (2nd Edition)
http://www.amazon.com/American-Complete-Comprehensive-Pronunciation-Individuals/dp/0963413902/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1304307187&sr=1-1
