For Arabic speakers
sheep or ship?
Spanish, Portuguese, Greek, and Arabic speakers tend to collapse /i/-/ɪ/ to a single /i/.
The sound in “sheep”
/i/
as in see /si/
Smile slightly, tongue high and forward. Often held longer than /ɪ/.
- Tongue:
- high-front
- Lips:
- spread
- Voicing:
- voiced
The sound in “ship”
/ɪ/
as in bit /bɪt/
Relaxed mouth, tongue slightly lower than /i/.
- Tongue:
- high-front
- Lips:
- neutral
- Voicing:
- voiced
Hear the difference
Tap each word. Every pair differs by exactly one sound — if both sound the same when you say them, this is your pair to drill.
Do you mix up sheep and ship?
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