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Long E sound words

Long E is a tense vowel made with the tongue high and forward and the lips spread, as in see. It is spelled ee, ea, ie, e-e, ey and even i in loanwords like machine. Keep the sound long and steady; shortening it turns sheep into ship.

Accent

15 words · beginner · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.

The words

see
meat
field
these
key
machine
believe
complete
freedom
people
piece
receive
niece
teacher
evening

More lists like this

Short I sound words
The relaxed short i in sit, big and busy. The single hardest vowel for most learners to place.
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Magic E words
A silent final E that changes the vowel before it: hat to hate, kit to kite. Hear the difference.
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Long A sound words
The /eɪ/ sound in day, rain and eight, spelled six different ways. Train your ear to all of them.
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Schwa sound words
The most common sound in English, hiding in every unstressed syllable. Learn to hear the schwa.
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Long vs short vowel pairs
Ship or sheep, full or fool, pull or pool. Hear the tense and lax vowel pairs side by side.
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Diphthong words
Vowels that glide from one sound to another: boy, house, coin, near. Hear all eight diphthongs.
15
Show the 15 words

Keep practising

Browse every practice list or the word index, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.

To read the rules behind these words, see the pronunciation guides — including silent letters, word stress and American vs British. Or hear each accent on its own page: American, British, Australian.