Short I sound words
Short I is a lax vowel: the tongue is high but relaxed and the sound is clipped. Many learners substitute a long ee, turning ship into sheep. Keep the jaw slightly more open and the sound short and loose.
Accent
15 words · beginner · your accent and voice are remembered across the site. More options on the settings page.
The words
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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.
Long A sound words
The /eɪ/ sound in day, rain and eight, spelled six different ways. Train your ear to all of them.
Long E sound words
The long ee sound in see, meat and field. Hear the tense vowel across all its spellings.
Schwa sound words
The most common sound in English, hiding in every unstressed syllable. Learn to hear the schwa.
Long vs short vowel pairs
Ship or sheep, full or fool, pull or pool. Hear the tense and lax vowel pairs side by side.
Diphthong words
Vowels that glide from one sound to another: boy, house, coin, near. Hear all eight diphthongs.
Keep practising
Browse every practice list, hear two accents back to back on Compare, or test your ear with the listening quiz.