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English Pronunciation: Sounds of the Letter I

In English pronunciation, "I" sounds can be difficult. In many languages, an I sounds like a long E. For instance, the Spanish word "si" sounds like the English word "see." In American English, I has only two sounds: the short sound in "sit" and the long sound in "light."
The short sound is soft, low in pitch and made by holding the tongue with a little bit of tension. The long I sounds like the name of the letter: I.

The list below uses I and Long E sounds from the 500 Most Common English words. The I spelling is never a long E sound in American English (unless the word originated from another language), but the Long E words are included so you can practice the difference. Make sure your short I sounds are much lower in pitch and softer than the long E sounds. Longer words with I in the middle or at the end are included.

There are more Short I sounds. These are the other Short I words from the 500 most common list: notice, figure, list, wind, quick, minute,  inch, ship, interest, sing, listen, six, possible, miss, sit, fill.

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