Short-vowel IPA Symbols
Knowing how the English vowel system works, with Long-vowels and Short-vowels, can help train your brain to work with English in a way that is similar to how native-speakers process the language. It can help […]
Short i
Overview of Vowels
Do you know the total number of different vowel sounds in English? Beginners often think the answer is “five”, because there are five vowel letters in the alphabet. Of course, anyone familiar with this blog […]
Tongue tension – a secret key
Tongue tension is important for pronouncing English short vowels well. All of the short vowels in American English need a relaxed tongue. In fact, some books and dictionaries call these vowels “lax vowels”. THE SECRET […]
A tongue-twister: Thistle sticks
Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistle sticks. Six thick thistle sticks. This tongue-twister is good for practicing 2 things: 1. Short-i. In all of these words, the [i] uses the Short-i sound. The key to […]
Short-i in Frequent Words
Distinguishing between Short-i and Long-E is difficult for many students (the difference is explained in “This or These?”), but it’s a good idea to be extra careful with this vowel distinction — there are several frequently used […]
This or These?
“Do you mean 1 or more than 1?” Have you ever been asked a question like that after trying to say something with the word “this” or “these”? If so, you’re not alone. It can be […]
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