PHONETICS: /I/

In British English, the phonetic symbol /I/ corresponds to the vowel sound in words like "sit" and "English". It is called a short vowel.

Some common words which practice this pronunciation include the following:

• with "i": bit - fit - hit - sing - sit - thick - thin - thing - think - this - with;
• with "e": England - English - women;
• with "qu": liquid – quick;
• others: biscuit - busy - circuit - minute - village.

While /I/ is similar to the Spanish letter "i", it is actually slightly shorter, and some Spanish speakers may have difficulty distinguishing between the vowel sound in "sin" and that of /i:/, as in "seen", which is longer than the Spanish "i".

Written by Victoria Overton

Native English Spain is dedicated to make learning English simple, fun and affordable for Spanish people.