In this episode, we explore the most common vowel sound in British English, the schwa, with a focus on how the letter E behaves in unstressed syllables. You’ll learn why the schwa isn’t a real vowel but a weak transition sound, how word stress controls pronunciation, and why native speakers often seem to skip vowels altogether. We cover reliable patterns at the ends of words such as er, en, and el, tricky unstressed E in the middle of words, and why initial E can shift between /ɪ/ and /ə/. If you want your pronunciation to sound more natural, fluent, and rhythmical, this lesson will change how you hear English.

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https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Put theory into practice! This follow-up episode helps you master the four pronunciations of the letter Y in British English through targeted exercises and common error corrections. Learn how to avoid over-articulating "yes," distinguish between short and long E sounds in words like "gym" and "happy," and properly pronounce the diphthong /aɪ/ in words like "my" and "fly."

Find me on italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Transcript:

/j/ - yes - year - young - yacht, beyond, canyon, you, yellow, yoke, yet.

Short /ɪ/ — short i: symbol, lyric, typical, crystal, syrup, mystery, gym, rhythm.

Long i: happy, funny, city, puppy, busy, baby, story, pretty

/aɪ/ — diphthong: my, try, fly, sky, cry, reply, apply, rely, satisfy, terrify, tyre, dynamite

Scenario 1: /j/ - yes, year, young, yacht, you, yellow, yoke, yet.

Minimal pairs:

yes - chess

year - cheer

yellow - cello

you - chew

yoke - choke,

yam - jam

yet - jet

Yale - jail

yoke - joke

yard - guard

year - gear

yum - gum

Scenario 2 (Minimal pairs):

gym - gene

myth - meet

symbol - seem

rhythm - read

crystal - cream

lyrics - leaks

Scenario 3: /ai/: my, try, fly, shy, cry, why, reply, apply, satisfy, terrify

Why does the letter Y sound completely different in "yes," "gym," "happy," and "my"? This episode unravels the mystery behind Y's four pronunciations in British English: the consonant /j/, the short vowel /ɪ/, the long vowel /iː/, and the diphthong /aɪ/. Discover the patterns (and exceptions) that govern when Y makes each sound, and learn about common pronunciation pitfalls for learners from French, German, Romance, Slavic, and Chinese language backgrounds. From over-articulating "yes" to flattening diphthongs in "fly," understand why these errors happen and what they reveal about the quirks of English pronunciation. Essential listening before the hands-on practice episode!

Find me on italki: https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Practice all 5 E sounds in British English with targeted exercises and tongue twisters. This lesson revisits the long and short E, the distinctive /ɜː/ sound that gives Southern British accents their signature "posh" quality, and the tricky /eɪ/ diphthong. Perfect for anyone looking to refine their British pronunciation through hands-on practice.

Transcript:

Long e /iː/: protein - Japanese - guarantee - committee - serene - believe, receive, degree, theme, scheme,

Short /ɪ/.: English, pretty, bucket, pocket, started, helmet, velvet, secret, women, gifted

Short e: bed, get, end, ever, ten, red, lend, help, next, step, send, tell, men, check

Minimal pairs:

bet / beat

met / meet

pet / Pete

sec / seek

stem / steam

breath / breathe

/ɜː/: her, term, serve, learn, fern, verse, perk, stern, mercy, permanent

Tongue twisters:

Her perfect purple purse was purchased in the service of a merchant.

The poet’s verse was first rehearsed in the perfect church.

The stern clerk served the fresh herbs with perfect purpose.

Myrtle curled her fingers around the purple purse, sure it was hers.

The surgeon gave a stern service to every patient with perfect care.

/eɪ/ : hey, great, eight, neighbour, they, vein, prey, weigh, rein, obey.

Sequence of 3:

bed – bid – bade

met – mitt – mate

pen – pin – pain

sell – sill – sail

get – git – gait

Explore the six ways to pronounce the letter E in British English. Building on the long E (see, me) and short E (English, pretty) from previous episodes, this lesson dives into three additional sounds: the mid-front /e/ in "bed," the distinctive central /ɜː/ in "her," and the diphthong /eɪ/ in "they." Learn precise tongue placement and jaw movement for each sound, discover common exceptions from French loanwords, and understand the role of silent E.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Tired of abandoning your language resolutions by mid-February? This episode reveals why traditional goal-setting fails for advanced learners—and introduces a game-changing monthly mission system that keeps you motivated all year long. Discover how to turn vague aspirations like "improve my English" into measurable pronunciation victories, one month at a time. Perfect for learners who know there's more progress to make but can't see the next step forward.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Master the long /iː/ and short /ɪ/ sounds through focused repetition and listening exercises. This practice session reinforces Lesson 7's key concept: both 'e' and 'i' can represent these two distinct vowel sounds in British English. You'll practice word lists, minimal pairs (sit/seat, ship/sheep), and challenging tongue twisters designed to sharpen your ear and improve your articulation. Perfect for learners who want to train their pronunciation through hands-on practice rather than theory. Repeat, listen, and build muscle memory—no matter your starting level, consistent practice will help these sounds become natural.

Transcript:

Long e with letter E: see, me, be, these, complete, scene, tree, free, three, believe, receive, degree, theme, scheme, delete, extreme

Long e with letter I: machine, police, sardine, prestige, magazine, marine, cuisine, routine, limousine, hygiene, submarine, regime, tambourine

Short i with letter E: English, pretty, bucket, pocket, started, lended, helmet, velvet, secret

Short i with letter I: it, sit, him, big, sister, interesting, milk, sick, pin, picnic, win, fish, list, lift, hint

Minimal Pairs:

Sit - seat

Fit - feet

ship - sheep

dip — deep

chip — cheap

Bin – Bean

Pin – Peen

Lid – Lead

Rich – Reach

Bit – Beat

Sick – Seek

Him – Heap

Fin – Fee

Rip – Reap

Tongue twisters:

I see the sheep sleep deep in the green field.

Sick fish swim in the deep sea.

Pin the chip on the cheap machine.

The keen teen keeps the scene clean.

Big fish in a deep green sea swim free.

Pretty women with private seats sip tea.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274

Discover how the letters E and I share more than you might expect! In this episode, we break down the long /iː/ (“ee”) and short /ɪ/ (“i”) vowel sounds in British English, explore how both letters can produce the same sound, and practice minimal pairs to help you hear and pronounce them accurately. Perfect for learners looking to refine their English pronunciation and accent.

If you found this episode interesting, follow this podcast for more tips. And if you would like to work on your accent one on one book a lesson with me on italki.

https://www.italki.com/en/teacher/9446274