Short vowels
How to pronounce /ɪ/ I as in sit
sitcitybegin
How to make it
Tongue forward and high, mouth barely open. Short and quick, never like EE.
- Tongue
- Front, but lower and loose
- Lips
- Barely spread
- Voice
- Short and quick
Watch the mouth
Short and relaxed. Do not smile, do not stretch it.
Where learners slip
- Arabic speakersOften stretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
- Spanish speakersStretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
- Portuguese speakersStretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
- Indonesian speakersStretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
- Russian speakersStretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
- French speakersStretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
- Persian speakersStretched into /i/ — sit can land as seat.
Say it on real English. See if it lands.
Lang Shadow scores /ɪ/ every time you say it — in Shorts, in role plays and in your own words — and colours it next to the other 40 sounds.