iː

The /iː/ sound: ee as in see

Vowel
Long
High priority for IELTS

Hear it

in see

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

The sound on its own: recording by No machine-readable author provided. Denelson83 assumed (based on copyright claims)., CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons. Credits

How to make /iː/

1
Spread your lips slightly, as if starting to smile.
2
Raise the front of your tongue high in your mouth.
3
Hold the sound; it is long: seeee, not si.

Sounds like: the letter E said with a slight smile, held long

/ɪ/ vs /iː/: ship vs sheep

Every pair

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.

1 / 8

Which word do you hear?

How /iː/ is spelled

ee
ea
e … e
ie
ei
i

The usual mistake

Cutting it short so 'sheep' sounds like 'ship', the length and the tighter, smiling lip position are what separate /iː/ from /ɪ/.

Words to practise

Say it and get scored

Read see, team, eat, reason, machine, agree aloud. Free, no account.

Check my /iː/

Questions

How do you pronounce the /iː/ sound?

Spread your lips slightly, as if starting to smile. Raise the front of your tongue high in your mouth. Hold the sound; it is long: seeee, not si.

What is the most common mistake with /iː/?

Cutting it short so 'sheep' sounds like 'ship', the length and the tighter, smiling lip position are what separate /iː/ from /ɪ/.

Which spellings make the /iː/ sound?

Common spellings include “ee”, “ea”, “e_e”, “ie”, “ei”, “i”, as in see /siː/, team /tiːm/, eat /iːt/.

Does /iː/ matter for IELTS?

Yes. This is a high-priority sound. Errors here frequently change one word into another, which examiners hear as reduced clarity (the exact Band 6 wording is “mispronunciation … reduces clarity at times”).