English sound question

[Sarahliu]

I am studying a master of English teaching. I have a course English Pronunciation. There are American English pronunciation /i/(for instance tree) and /I/(for instance sit). What's the difference of these two sound? In British English it is clear that /i:/(tree) is longer, however /I/(sit) is shorter.
Thanks.

[tareq10]

/i:/(tree) is longer, however /I/(sit) is shorter.


You're right, /i:/ is a long vowel and /I/ is a short one.


Keep going!

[Sarahliu]

Originally Posted by tareq10

/i:/(tree) is longer, however /I/(sit) is shorter.


You're right, /i:/ is a long vowel and /I/ is a short one.


Keep going!

But what is the difference between /i/ and /I/? In the course book, it is written like this,
American British
Tree /i/ /i:/
Sit /I/ /I/
So I don't understand well /i/ and /I/. Are they the same?

[Super Sonic]

Originally Posted by Sarahliu

But what is the difference between /i/ and /I/? In the course book, it is written like this,
American British
Tree /i/ /i:/
Sit /I/ /I/
So I don't understand well /i/ and /I/. Are they the same?

/i/ is something in between /i:/ and /ı/.

[M.Mozaffary]

Try this one
http://www.usingenglish.com/forum/pr...ng-system.html

[Charlie Bernstein]

Americans say tree and sit the same way the British do. Many of our words sound the same.

[RachelsEnglish]

Sarahliu,
Hello. You might find these comparison videos helpful:

ee vs. ih, tense vs. lax

and

long vs. short vowel

Hope this helps!
Rachel

[konungursvia]

Also, in my view, it's important to note that the British only began calling the vowels long and short by analogy with Latin, in which the vowels really were long and short: "latus", side, "la:tus", wide.

The short vowels are different in quality, but often exactly the same in length. I hear no difference between feet and fit except in vowel quality. So they are merely names, a shorthand to distinguish between the commonest pairs of pronunciations of individual letters.

Also, I am sure we do this similarly on both sides of the Atlantic. Sheet and shit are distinguished by the same phoneme pair here and in England.

[Charlie Bernstein]

Originally Posted by konungursvia

Also, iin my view, it's important to note that the British only began calling the vowels long and short by analogy with Latin, in which the vowels really were long and short: "latus", side, "la:tus", wide.

The short vowels are different in quality, but often exactly the same in length. I hear no difference between feet and fit except in vowel quality. So they are merely names, a shorthand to distinguish between the commonest pairs of pronunciations of individual letters.

Also, I am sure we do this similarly on both sides of the Atlantic. Sheet and shit are distinguished by the same phoneme pair here and in England.

Well, shee-it! I always wondered why we call vowels long and short when they take the same length of time to say.

Cool.