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    /ɪ/ vs /iː/: ship vs sheep

    The short relaxed /ɪ/ and the long tense /iː/ separate hundreds of common word pairs (live/leave, sit/seat, chip/cheap), making this the highest-value vowel contrast in English.

    • High impact
    • 8 pairs
    • Three voices

    1 / 10

    Which word do you hear?

    See the difference

    It is not only length: /iː/ uses spread 'smiling' lips and a tenser tongue; /ɪ/ is short, loose and neutral. Exaggerate the smile on /iː/ until the difference is automatic.

    ɪ

    as in ship

    Lips
    Relaxed
    Tongue
    Fairly high, near the front
    Voice
    On
    Length
    Short
    Learn ɪ

    iː

    as in sheep

    Lips
    Spread, as in a smile
    Tongue
    High and to the front
    Voice
    On
    Length
    Long: hold it
    Learn iː

    All 8 pairs

    In a sentence

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    Questions

    What is the difference between ship and sheep?
    ship /ʃɪp/ uses the /ɪ/ sound while sheep /ʃiːp/ uses /iː/. It is not only length: /iː/ uses spread 'smiling' lips and a tenser tongue; /ɪ/ is short, loose and neutral. Exaggerate the smile on /iː/ until the difference is automatic.
    Which learners find the /ɪ/ vs /iː/ contrast hardest?
    It is most challenging for Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, Bengali, Turkish, Vietnamese speakers, whose first languages don't separate these two sounds.