Shadowing Practice: Practice Your English Pronunciation: /ɪ/ vs /iː/ Vowel Sounds | Course #1 - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hi, guys. This is Fanny.
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Welcome to this English pronunciation video.
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In this video we will focus on two English vowel sounds: /I/ and /i:/ Now I know they sound very similar, but they are different.
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And they are two very important vowel sounds in English.
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So let's start with our two example words: sit Now listen to how I pronounce this word.
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sit Can you hear the /I/ sound?
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sit Now listen to another word: seat Can you hear the pronunciation?
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seat /i:/ sound.
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seat sit seat I know it can be difficult at first.
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But with a little bit of practice, I'm sure you will hear them differently.
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Although they are similar, they are two different vowel sounds.
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I promise you by the end of this video you will hear and pronounce them differently.
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So keep watching!
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Get ready students.
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I'm gonna help you make these vowel sounds /I/ and /i:/.
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I really want you to be able to hear the difference and to pronounce them correctly.
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It is very important for you to know the IPA spelling.
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Watch how I move my mouth.
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And always repeat after me in this video.
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I know that you can master these vowel sounds.
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Let's get started.
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First, let's try to make the sound /I/.
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/I/ So when you pronounce, it your tongue is a little higher in your mouth, closer to the front.
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/I/ Stretch out your lips a little.
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And it's a short sound.
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/I/ Repeat after me.
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/I/ /I/ /I/ Let’s now practice with the word, sit.
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Repeat after me.
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sit sit sit Good guys.
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Let's now practice the second sound, /i:/.
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So the tongue has the same position.
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It's a little bit higher, closer to the front.
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But, when you say /i:/, you stretch out your lips a little more.
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And it's a long sound.
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/i:/ Your lips should feel a little tighter, too.
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/i:/ Repeat after me.
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/i:/ /i:/ /i:/ Let's practice with the word, seat.
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Repeat after me.
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seat seat seat Good guys.
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So we're going to use minimal pairs.
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They’re words with very similar sounds, but the actual vowel sounds are different.
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And they're a very good way to practice these vowel sounds.
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So let's now practice together.
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First, just the sounds.
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Watch my mouth.
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And repeat after me.
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/I/ /I/ /I/ /i:/ /i:/ /i:/ /I/ /i:/ /I/ /i:/ /I/ /i:/ Can you see my mouth?
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Okay let's now practice with the words.
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sit sit sit seat seat seat sit seat sit seat sit seat Good job guys.
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Okay, guys.
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Let's now move on to minimal pairs. I have a few for you.
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I'm gonna read them to you.
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I want you to be very careful. Look at my mouth - how it moves.
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And repeat after me.
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Let's get started.
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bid bead bin been bit beat bitch beach biz bees blip bleep chick cheek chip cheap chit cheat did deed dip deep fill feel fist feast fit feet fizz fees gin gene grid greed grin green hid heed hill he’ll hip heap his he’s hit heat ill eel is ease it eat itch each kid keyed kip keep knit neat lick leak lip leap mill meal mitt meet pick peek pill peel pip peep piss peace pit peat pitch peach risen reason slick sleek slip sleep slit sleet shin sheen sick seek sill seal sim seem sin seen sip seep skid skied skim scheme skit skeet still steel till teal tin teen wit wheat Let's practice further. I'm now going to show you some words.
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And I want you to read them with the proper English vowel sound.
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/I/ or /i:/ Let's get started.
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Let's start with the first word.
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Which one is it?
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Is it sit or is it seat?
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Of course it is sit.
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Next word. Is it chick or is it cheek?
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It's chick.
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Next word. fill or feel?
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fill Next word.
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his or he's?
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Of course his.
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chit or cheat?
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Its cheat. Is it pip or is it peep?
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Of course people it’s pip.
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Next word. bitch or beach?
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It's beach.
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Then we have sit or seat.
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Which one is it?
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It's seat. his oh he's?
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It's he's. And finally, is it hill or heel?
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It's heel. Great guys.
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Let's continue on.
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Okay guys, let's now move on to sentences.
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I have a few sentences for you with different /I/ and /i:/ sounds.
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So pay attention and repeat after me.
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The first sentence is: Pick a seat and sit without making a peep.
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The second sentence: Don't peel a peach or eat its pit.
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And finally...
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I feel sick and ill after eating the big meal.
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Excellent guys.
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Let's move on.
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Great job guys.
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I know you now have a better understanding of the difference between the English vowel sounds /I/ and /i:/.
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It's difficult.
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It takes time and practice to master, but you can do it.
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So keep practicing and make sure to watch my other pronunciation videos very important if you want to improve your English skills.
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See you next time.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This A2 speaking lesson is built on the video “Practice Your English Pronunciation: /ɪ/ vs /iː/ Vowel Sounds”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: sound, seat, sit, word, vowel. This video has 94 sentences and 843 words to shadow. The speech runs for 11:58. The speaker talks slowly, about 70 words per minute, so there is time to copy every sound. 77% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English; the rest is worth studying before you start.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| pronounce verb | /pɹəˈnaʊns/ | To declare formally, officially or ceremoniously. |
| lip noun | /lɪp/ | Either of the two fleshy protrusions around the opening of the mouth. |
| chick noun | /t͡ʃɪk/ | A young bird. |
| cheat verb | /ˈt͡ʃiːt/ | To violate rules in order to gain, or attempt to gain, advantage from a situation. |
| pronunciation noun | /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/ | The formal or informal way in which a word is made to sound when spoken. |
| meal noun | /ˈmiːl/ | Food that is prepared and eaten, usually at a specific time, and usually in a comparatively large quantity. |
| stretch verb | /stɹɛt͡ʃ/ | To lengthen by pulling. |
| differently adverb | /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/ | In a different way. |
| minimal adjective | /ˈmɪn.ə.məl/ | The smallest possible amount, quantity, or degree. |
| cheek noun | /t͡ʃiːk/ | The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity. |
| heel noun | /hil/ | The rear part of the foot, where it joins the leg. |
| peel verb | /piːl/ | To remove the skin or outer covering of. |
| peach noun | /ˈpiːt͡ʃ/ | Any tree of species Prunus persica, native to China and now widely cultivated throughout temperate regions, having pink flowers and edible fruit. |
| pitch noun | /pɪt͡ʃ/ | A throw; a toss; a cast, as of something from the hand. |
| skill noun | /skɪl/ | A capacity to do something well; a technique, an ability, usually acquired or learned, as opposed to abilities that are regarded as innate. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- Let's now move on to minimal pairs.
- I'm gonna read them to you.
- I'm now going to show you some words.
- Let's start with the first word.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Verb + -ing enjoy, keep, stop… + -ing — verbs that are followed by the -ing form | keep watching · keep practicing |
| Future with “going to” be going to + verb — a plan or something you can see coming | gonna help · we're going to use · gonna read |
| Future with “will” will + verb — a decision, promise or prediction | will focus · will hear · he'll hip |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 11 contractions and reduced forms, such as I'm, gonna, they're. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, shin /ʃɪn/, sheen /ʃiːn/
- Long words — get the stress right: pronunciation /pɹəˌnʌn.siˈeɪ.ʃən/, differently /ˈdɪf.ə.ɹənt.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Shadow it sentence by sentence at normal speed, repeating each one until your rhythm matches the speaker.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like pronounce, lip, chick.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.