The System of English Monophthongs

fro nt mixed back

closed

open-mid

open

Phoneme /ı/ — close front (lowered-centralised) unrounded vowel (lax), second element of English diphthongs /eı, aı, oı/.

Graphic Equivalents of the /ı/ Phoneme

I gift, carsick, rustic, midwinter, vinegar, wig, chill, rickets, Cardiff, Greenwich

y hymn, lymph, Lydia, nymph, system, condyloma

e despise, hogget, elect, because, belligerency, vine

a courage, language, villager, manage, manager, management, pillage, hostage

ie sieve

ia marriage, marriageable

ai captainship, mountainside, fountainhead

ui biscuit, circuit, build

ei 'forfeit, 'forfeitable,'forfeiture

Exercise А1.

/ı/

lıd dıd

tın dın

tıl nıl

lıt lıd — lıt

Proverbs and Sayings

/ı/: It's a filthy little finger. Tip this chicken skin into the bin and I'll give you a biscuit.

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been living in this big city since Christmas.

Phoneme /i/ — close front unrounded vowel (tense).

Graphic Equivalents of the /i/ Phoneme

e we, he, she, me, frequency, meter, these, equal, Egypt, Eton, Karelia

ee bee, beep, beech, seed, wheel, week, cheese, freesheet, Leeds, Greece

ea freakish, lead, deal, cleave, team, tea, sea, beat, leader, New Zealand

ie piece, diesel, niece, field, chief, brief, believe, Dieter

ei receive, ceiling, seize, leisure (AmE)

i police, machine, fatigue, magazine, ski, petite, Bikini

y Hollywood, hollyhock, many, city, melody

ey money, moneyspinner, honeymoon, Honeycomb, Hindley

Exercise А2.

/i/

ti nid lid

di nil dil

ni nid — nit

li nid — nit — nıt

tin din

Exercise А3.

/ı/ — /i/

tın — tin nıl — nil

lın — lin dıl — dil

dıd — did lıd — lıt

lid — lıd — lıt

Proverbs and Sayings

/i/: Pete, my feet are freezing. You sweep the leaves. I'll see to the tea.

Please be seated in these three seats near the speaker.

Exercise 3.

Прочитайте предложения, обращая внимание на разницу в произношении звуков /i:/ — /ı/.

1. You should feel it inside.	You should fill it inside.
2. Mary doesn’t want to sleep.	Mary doesn’t want to slip.
3. The peach is excellent.	The pitch is excellent.
4. Bob beat Tom again.	Bob bit Tom again.
5. Is he leaving with his brother?	Is he living with his brother?
6. That’s a low heel.	That’s a low hill.
7. I want to eat.	I want it.
8. She was shocked by the dean.	She was shocked by the din.
9. It was a terrible scene.	It was a terrible sin.
10. We always heat our food.	We always hid our food.
11. Do you see the peak?	Do you see the pig?
12. Shall we slip in here?	Shall we sleep in here?
13. They had a wonderful mill by the river.	They had a wonderful meal by the river.
14. Ann’s never seen a ship move so fast.	Ann’s never seen a sheep move so fast!