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Unit 11. Wine, Win.

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The Vowel Sounds /ai/ and /i/

Unit 11; Part A

11.1.jpgWhen you say the letters of the alphabet, I has the long vowel sound /ai/. You hear this sound in the word wine. But the letter I is also pronounced as the short vowel sound /ι/, as in the word win.
Listen to the sound /ai/. Look at the mouth diagram to see how to make this long vowel sound.

Listen to the target sound /ai/ in the words below and compare it with the words on each side.

mate    might    meet
bay      buy       boy
tip        type      tape
quit      quite     quiet


Listen and repeat these examples of the target sound.
          why    wide        wife
          buy     buys        bike
          fly      flies        flight
  
11.2.jpg
 
idea.jpgImportant for listening!
When the long I is before R or L many speakers put the vowel /∂/ between them.
So, for example, hire sounds like higher.
Here are some more examples: fire    tyre    child    while    smile    style   file   wilt
 

Unit 11; Part B

11.3.jpgListen to the sound /ι/.
Look at the mouth diagram to see how to make this short vowel sound.

Listen to the target sound /ι/ in the words below and compare it with the words on each side.

peak     pick    pack
wheel   will     while
set        sit       sat
feet      fit        fat
Listen and repeat these examples of the target sound.
           king    kid        kit
           pink    pig    pick
           fill      fish     in
 
11.4.jpg

Unit 11; Part C

 

Spelling

 frequently sometimes
notes
/ai/
I-Е (smile),  IE (die)
Y  (cry)
IGH (high)
UY (buy)
These spellings are not always pronounced /ai/ (fridge, city, friend).
/ι/I (win)
Y  (gym)
The sound /ι/ is also a weak vowel (see Unit 7), and can have various spellings in an unstressed syllable (needed, cities, village). If there is an R after the letter I (and the R does not have a vowel after it), I has a different pronunciation. (See Unit 19. )

 



Exercises


flag.jpgMake words with these beginnings and endings and write them in the correct part of the table. Key.words with /ai/  wife    wine    wide    light    life    line    lime    mice    mine    mile    mite    night    nice    nine    fight    fine    file    time    sight    side    site    quite    lice    might    mime    Nile    tight    tile   tide
words with /i/   will    wish    win    mill    fit    fill    fish    tin   sit    sin    quit    wit    lit    nit    fin    till    sill    quill


beginnings:     wi       li       mi       ni       fi       ti       si       qui
endings:          ght      fe      t      ce      ne      me      le      de      ll      sh      te      n

words with the vowel /aι/     words with the vowel /ι/    
     wife



    wit




dialogue.jpgRead the dialogue. Underline the sound /aι/ and underline /ι/. Count them and write the number at the end of the line.
A:  Why,did Jim hit Bill?                                                
B:  Well, Jim's a guy who likes a fight.
A:  But Bill's twice his size.
B:  Yeah, that's why Jim got a black eye and a thick lip.
A:  And Bill's got a big smile.
B:  That's right!
/aι/ = 1    
/aι/ =
/aι/ =
/aι/ =
/aι/ =
/aι/ =
/ι/ = 4
/ι/ =
/ι/ =
/ι/ =
/ι/ =
/ι/ =

Follow up: On the recording you will hear A's lines. You say B's lines.


flag.jpgThe word knife contains the three sounds /n/, /ai/ and /f/. If you reverse the sounds, you get the word fine /fain/. Reverse the sounds in these words.
Example:    sign    nice

1    might         
2    lick       
3    lip       
4    kiss
_______time     
_______kill
_______pill
_______sick 
5    pitch     
6    tick
7    dice
8    lights
_______chip     
_______kit
_______side
_______style 


galka.jpgListen and circle the word you hear.

1    Live or leave?    I don't want to live / leave here.
2    Fill or feel?    Can you fill / feel it?
3    Litter or letter?    Who dropped the litter / letter?
4    Lift or left?    You should take the lift / left.

Follow up: Recordyourself saying the sentences in 4. choosing one of the two words. Makea note of which words you say. Then listen to your recording in abouttwo weeks. Is it clear which words you said?


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