Play the audio and write down what you heard!
Let’s try the /I/ sound first! (it, fit, sit, bit)
Now, let’s try the /iː/ sound! (eat, feet, seat, beat)
Try some of these drills:
/I/
- It didn’t fit. Did he sit on it?
- Did Tim win it?
- Is it still in the bin?
- He hid in his crib.
- Pick it up, quick!
- She slid into the pit.
- Can Jim fix it?
- The lid is missing.
- Rick hit his shin.
- Sit still in the gym.
/iː/
- He can’t see the bee, can he?
- She needs three green beans.
- Will he keep the key?
- The tree is by the sea.
- He eats sweet peas frequently.
- We meet every week.
- Please leave the tea.
- She sees the three geese.
- He reads these sheets.
- The bee is near the tree.
Identify the different sounds and read the poem. Start slow and then get faster. Check the audio to check!
In the middle of the city, lived a sleek little bee,
(In the mIddle of the cIty, lIved a sliːk lIttle biː,)
Who buzzed through the trees with a glimmer of glee.
(Who buzzed through the triːs with a glimmer of gliː.)
He met a kind sheep with a fleece oh so neat,
(He met a kind shiːp with a fliːce oh so niːt,)
They chatted ’bout cheese while munching on wheat.
(They chatted ’bout chiːse while munching on whiːt.)
They sat by a stream, where the fish liked to swim,
(They sat by a striːm, where the fIsh liked to swIm,)
The bee told a story that was quite a whim.
(The biː told a story that was quite a whIm.)
“One day I was ill and needed some tea,
(“One day I was Ill and needed some tiː,)
But instead got a pill that was tiny and wee.”
(But instead got a pIll that was tiny and wiː.”)
The sheep laughed with cheer, “Oh bee, what a feat!
(The shiːp laughed wIth cheer, “Oh biː, what a fiːt!)
Next time, just sip tea to make you feel neat.
(Next time, just sIp tiː to make you feel niːt.)
But beware of the pit where the cherries do lie,
(But beware of the pIt where the cherries do lie,)
You could slip in a bit and get quite a surprise.”
(You could slIp In a bIt and get quite a surprise.”)
The bee nodded twice, with a grin on his face,
(The biː nodded twice, wIth a grIn on hIs face,)
“Thanks for the tip, I’ll be careful with grace.
(“Thanks for the tIp, I’ll be careful wIth grace.)
Let’s meet by the sea when the sun starts to set,
(Let’s miːt by the siː when the sun starts to set,)
And watch the fleet sail, a view you won’t forget.”
(And watch the fliːt sail, a view you won’t forget.”)
They said their goodbyes with a hug and a cheer,
(They said their goodbyes wIth a hug and a cheer,)
The bee buzzed away, his heart light and clear.
(The biː buzzed away, hIs heart light and clear.)
In the blink of an eye, he was back in his hive,
(In the blInk of an eye, he was back In hIs hive,)
Dreaming of sheep and the life he’d contrive.
(Dreaming of shiːp and the life he’d contrive.)
So If you meet a bee who loves tea by the sea,
(So If you miːt a biː who loves tiː by the siː,)
Remember this tale of the sheep and the bee.
(Remember thIs tale of the shiːp and the biː.)
With words short and sweat, their friendship did grow,
(WIth words short and swiːt, their friendship dId grow,)
In a world full of sounds that we all come to know.
(In a world full of sounds that we all come to know.)
In the middle of the city, lived a sleek little bee,
(In the mIddle of the cIty, lIved a sliːk lIttle biː,)
Who buzzed through the trees with a glimmer of glee.
(Who buzzed through the triːs with a glimmer of gliː.)
He met a kind sheep with a fleece oh so neat,
(He met a kind shiːp wIth a fliːce oh so niːt,)
They chatted ’bout cheese while munching on wheat.
(They chatted ’bout chiːse while munching on whiːt.)
10 Most Common /I/ words:
Read the dialogue to practice these common words!
10 Most Common /iː/ words:
Read the dialogue to practice these common words!
Exercise 8: Practice with your teacher!
- Choose a mixture of either the /I/ or the /iː/ sound. (Make sure it’s random!)
- Next, sound out the words to your teacher.
- After saying all 4 words, your teacher will reveal what sound they heard/what word they thought you said!
- Count how many your teacher guessed correctly out of 4!
- After that, swap roles, and you write down which words you hear from your teacher!
For example: Student chooses: it, feet, seat, bit and says them out loud while the teacher writes down what they hear.
Minimal Pair List
bit – beat
sit – seat
hit – heat
fit – feet
lick – leak
pit – peat
rid – reed
sip – seep
slip – sleep
grin – green
tin – teen
sin – seen
live – leave
his – he’s
dim – deem
fill – feel
till – teal
mill – meal
lid – lead
hill – heel
mitt – meet
sin – scene
blip – bleep
chip – cheap
hid – heed
fizz – fees
whip – weep
bid – bead
grit – greet
fit – feet
did – deed
hip – heap
min – mean
sin – seen
kin – keen
shin – sheen
bit – beat
sit – seat
slit – sleet
