Unit goals
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- hear the difference between tense /iː/ and relaxed /ɪ/: sheep / ship;
- add /ɛ/ and separate three words: beat, bit, bet;
- choose the right meaning in real sentences;
- say each word so a voice recognizer understands it.
About the audio
All the audio in this unit comes from the American English voice of your device (text-to-speech). There are no audio files, so every example, card and exercise can play.
- See what is playing. The button that is playing turns coral with moving bars. Tap it again to stop.
- Change the speed. Use Slow to hear each sound clearly and Normal for shadowing.
- One voice for each character. Laura has a female voice and Marco has a male voice.
- The speaking lab uses your microphone. Your browser asks for permission the first time. Nothing is recorded or saved. It works best in Chrome or Edge.
- The browser voice is a guide. In real speech, sounds are shorter and more connected than in single words.
No sound? Check the volume and the silent mode of your phone.
Sheep or ship: /iː/ and /ɪ/COMPLETED
This is the most important vowel contrast in English for Spanish speakers. Sheep and ship, leave and live, feel and fill: the only difference is the vowel, and it changes the meaning.
PROFT · REFERENCE CHART
/iː/ and /ɪ/ tense or relaxed
Spanish has only one i, right in the middle. Spanish speakers often say sheep and ship the same way, so leave sounds like live and feel like fill. One vowel can change a polite sentence into a very different one, so this contrast is worth real practice.
Smile a little, tense your lips and hold the sound.
Relax your face, drop your jaw a little and keep it short.
Say the pair slowly: the tense vowel is clearly longer.
Before a voiced consonant, both vowels get a little longer. Keep the contrast anyway.
Hear them in sentences
Practice 1: Which word?COMPLETED
Train your ear first. Each pair changes only one vowel: tense /iː/ or relaxed /ɪ/.
Listen and choose
Listen and choose the word you hear. After you answer, play both words to compare them.
Practice 2: Odd one outCOMPLETED
Four words, one different vowel. Listen to all four before you choose.
Find the different vowel
Listen to the four words. Which one has a different vowel sound?
Three vowels: /iː/, /ɪ/ and /ɛ/COMPLETED
Now add a third vowel: /ɛ/, as in bed. It is close to the Spanish e, but a little more open and always short. Three words, three meanings: beat, bit, bet.
PROFT · REFERENCE CHART
/iː/ · /ɪ/ · /ɛ/ three steps down
Spanish speakers often hear /ɪ/ as an e, so bit sounds like bet and pit like pet. Open your jaw one step for each vowel: /iː/ closed and smiling, /ɪ/ a little open, /ɛ/ more open.
Put a finger on your chin. It drops a little for each vowel.
A classic trio. Numbers matter in business: thirteen or ten?
Present tense read has /iː/. The color red has /ɛ/.
Check is the one you use every day at work.
Hear them in sentences
Practice 3: In contextCOMPLETED
In real speech, one vowel changes the whole message. Listen to the sentence and choose what the speaker means.
What does the speaker mean?
Listen to each sentence and choose its meaning.
Lab: minimal pairsCOMPLETED
Now it is your turn to speak. Practice /iː/, /ɪ/ and /ɛ/ in three modes. Complete one round of 10 in any mode, and finish with Say it.
How to play: choose the sounds and a mode. Which word? trains your ear. Same or different? trains your attention. Say it checks your pronunciation with the microphone.
Pairs in contextCOMPLETED
Each sentence needs one word from a pair. Listen carefully: the vowel tells you which one.
Listen and fill in the blanks
Play each sentence and fill in the blank. The box has minimal pairs, so choose carefully. Tap a word to hear it and put it in the blank, or type it.
Vocabulary box
Minimal pairs. Half of the words are extra.
Dialogue: is this seat free?COMPLETED
Laura and Marco meet before a meeting. Listen for every /iː/, /ɪ/ and /ɛ/, then hide the marks and shadow the dialogue.
Personalize
Complete the sentences about you. Choose an option or write your own.
Vocabulary ideas
Choose one option for each blank, or write your own.
GamesCOMPLETED
Play to fix the sounds in your memory. Finish one game to complete this section.
Sound order
How to play: tap Listen. Then tap the sounds in the right order. Each word has one extra sound that does not belong. Tap a sound in the box to send it back.
Memory: minimal pairs
How to play: find each word and its R or L partner, like right and light. Every card says its word when you turn it, so listen to the difference.
Speed gamesCOMPLETED
Two fast games to make the difference automatic. Play one round of each.
SPEED ROUND · 45 SECONDS
Which word?
Tap Start. Listen to each word and tap it as fast as you can. Every correct answer adds to your streak.
SOUND SORTER · /iː/ /ɪ/ /ɛ/
Put each word in its sound
Listen to the word and tap the sound it has. Sort all 12 words.
Record and compareCOMPLETED
Record each sentence, then play the model and your voice back to back. Listen for the vowel: is your seat long, your sit short, your ten open?
Consolidation: read and pronounceCOMPLETED
Consolidate what you practiced. Listen to the model, tap Say it and say each item out loud. The app checks your pronunciation and marks any word it did not hear clearly. If it hears a homophone, like son for sun, it counts as correct, because both words sound the same.
Unit quizCOMPLETED
Ten questions about Unit 1. You need 8 out of 10 to complete the unit.
Check your progress
Tap the audio button, listen and choose your answer. You will see the explanation right away.
Unit 1 complete
Before you move on, check what you can do now:
If you cannot check a box yet, go back to that section and practice a little more.
SOUND GYM · 12 UNITS