LoginHow to Pronounce the /i/ Sound
Explore the /i/ sound, a key element in phonology. Learn its articulation, distinguishing features, and role in clear and accurate pronunciation.
In this lesson, we are going to learn how the sound /i/ is produced by looking at the articulatory organs.
What Type of Sound Is /i/?
/i/ is a long vowel sound as if you are saying 'he, she, ...'
How to Produce /i/?
Mouth Configuration for /i/
To produce it, as in the picture, open your mouth slightly, stretch apart the corner of your lips as you are smiling and make the long /i/ sound. Notice that the lips are unrounded.
Which Letters are Pronounced as /i/?
The sound /i/ is represented by the following letters:
Pie Chart of the Letters that Make the /i/ Sound
- y:
happ
cand
- i:
pol
tax
- e:
m
h
- ie:
Barb
th
- ee:
thr
n
- ea:
l
- ei:
c
rec
Tip!
As you have seen before in the examples, When two dots come after the sound as in /iː/, It indicates that it is pronounced as a long vowel sound, not as a short or weak sound.
/i/ Around the World
As you see in the table below, all common languages around the world have this sound; therefore you will not have any problem producing it.
| Existence | Example | |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin | ✔ | 李 (Lǐ) |
| Spanish | ✔ | piso |
| Hindi | ✔ | जीतना |
| Bengali | ✔ | দিন |
| Portuguese | ✔ | si |
| Russian | ✔ | и́ли |
| Japanese | ✔ | いる |
| Vietnamese | ✔ | khi |
| Turkish | ✔ | çivi |
| French | ✔ | si |
| German | ✔ | ihm |
| Italian | ✔ | sì |
| Persian | ✔ | شیر |
| Standard Arabic | ✔ | فی |
| Korean | ✔ | 흰색 |
| Indonesian | ✔ | ini |
| Filipino | ✔ | sinat |
| Hungarian | ✔ | visz |
| Dutch | ✔ | diep |
| Polish | ✔ | piwo |
| Romanian | ✔ | mie |
| Swedish | ✔ | sil |
| Czech | ✔ | klít |
| Greek | ✔ | ίδιος |
| Ukrainian | ✔ | кіт |
| Urdu | ✔ | جیتنا |
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