This document describes the vowel sounds /i:/ and /e/ in English. For the vowel sound /i:/, the tongue is nearly close, the center front part of the tongue is highest, the lips are spread or neutral, and the jaw opening is narrow to medium. Examples of words containing the /i:/ sound include tree, see, complete, and immediate. The vowel sound /e/ has the tongue in an intermediate height between half-close and half-open, the front part of the tongue is raised, the lips are spread or neutral, and the jaw opening is medium. Words containing the /e/ sound include pen, seven, head, and any.

2. Vowel Sound /i:/
•
Features:
•
height of tongue: nearly ‘close’
• part of tongue which is highest: center
of ‘front’
• position of lips: spread or neutral
• opening between jaws: narrow to
medium
• Examples:

ee – tree /tri:/, see /si:/

e – complete /k@m’ pli:t/,
immediate /i’mi:di@t/

ea – sea /si:/, east /i:st/

ie, ei, i – field /fi:ld/, seize /si:z/,
police /p@li:s/
execptional – key /ki:/, quay /ki:/,
people /’ pi:pl/

3. Vowel Sound /e/
• Features:
• height of the tongue: intermediate
between half-close and half-open
• part of the tongue raised: the
‘front’
• position of lips: spread or neutral
• opening between the jaw: medium
• Examples:
e – pen /pen/, seven /sevn/
ea – head /hed/, breath /breT/
a – any /'eni/, ate /et/