Close Vowels

Teaching Pronunciation with Confidence and Love – Close Vowels

Master the Pronunciation Theory & Practice and Become Comfortable Teaching it!

Close Vowels

Close Vowels

For close vowels the tongue is quite high in the mouth.
Moving from /iː/ through to /uː/, we also notice the different positions of the tongue;
/iː/ is a front vowel, and
/u:/ is a back vowel.
If we move from /i:/  to /u:/ we can also notice the movement of our lips.
For /i:/
Lips go back  (spread lips as when smiling)  and the tongue goes forward.
For /u:/
Lips go forward (round lips) and the tongue goes back.

In English, when lips go forward the tongue goes back, and when lips go back the tongue goes forward. This principle is not true for all Languages. (eg French and Scandinavian Languages)

While moving from/i:/  to /u:/ we produce a series of other in-between sounds.  /ɪ/  and             /ʊ/ are some of these sounds.
For /ɪ/
The tongue is not as forward and high as for /i:/. Tongue, lips, and cheeks are more relaxed. The sound /ɪ/ is short.
For /ʊ/
the tongue is not as back and high as for  /u:/ and the lips are not fully rounded as for /u:/. The sound /ʊ/ is short.

 Adrian Underhill has lots of activities helping us, Teachers, help our Students become aware of what muscles and what movements of these muscles  are needed to produce the English Sounds (in our case now, /i:/ , /ɪ/ ,            /ʊ/  and /u:/)
You can access them on his Blog, The Story of Sounds, episodes 14-17.

Let's see the characteristics for each Close Vowel

/iː/ (long i)

/iː/ - Technical Name - Close Front Unrounded Vowel’.

The Technical Name tells us about HOW the sound is made physically (about what muscle we use, and how we use them).

The front of the tongue is slightly behind and below the close front position.
(The ‘close’ position is where the tongue is closest to the roof of the mouth.)
Lips are spread.
The tongue is tense.
The sides of the tongue touch the upper molars.

Visuals to help you remember /iː/ easier.

close vowels

Common Words including the sound /iː/

*silent final e
A split vowel digraph, commonly known as a magic e (/mæʤɪk i:/) is a short version of the sentence “silent final e makes the vowel say its name”. This means that in face the a sounds A; in delete the middle e sounds E; in price the i sounds I; in home the o sounds O; in cute the usounds U. (See more details HERE. 

Homophones – words which have the same pronunciation but different spellings.

/iː/ Sound difficulties for:

Chinese, Greek, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish.

Tips for sound difficulties:

Check the Phonology of your own first Language  of your Students’ first Language (L1) on Wikipedia. 

See what English sounds don’t exist in your/your Students  L1. Proactively anticipate possible difficulties.

Here is the Phonology of my L1. (Ro)

Here is the Phonology of my Students’ L1. (Tr)

Which is Yours?
(if you are not a native English speaker, of course! 🙂 )

Whhis is/are your students’?

/ı/ (short i)

/ı/ - Technical Name - ‘Near-Close Near-Front Unrounded Vowel’.

The Technical Name tells us about HOW the sound is made physically (about what muscle we use, and how we use them).

Close Vowels

The part of the tongue slightly nearer the centre is raised to just above the half close position (not as high as in /ı/).
The lips are spread loosely.
The tongue is more relaxed.
The sides of the tongue may just touch the upper molars.

Visuals to help you remember /ı/ easier.

Words including the sound /ı/

/ı/ Sound difficulties for:

Arabic, Chinese, French, Greek, Italian,Japanese, Portuguese, Scandinavian Languages, Spanish, Turkish.

/ʊ/

/ʊ/ - Technical Name - ‘Near-Close Near-Back Vowel’.

The Technical Name tells us about HOW the sound is made physically (about what muscle we use, and how we use them).

Close Vowels

The part of the tongue just behind the centre is raised, just above the half-close position.
The lips are loosely rounded.
The tongue is relatively relaxed.

Visuals to help you remember /ʊ/ easier.

Close Vowels

Words including the sound /ʊ/

/ʊ/ Sound difficulties for:

French, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Turkish

/u:/

/u:/ - Technical Name - ‘Close Back Rounded Vowel’.

The Technical Name tells us about HOW the sound is made physically (about what muscle we use, and how we use them).

The back of the tongue is raised just below the close position.
Lips are rounded.
The tongue is tense.

Visuals to help you remember /u:/ easier.

Words including the sound /u:/

/u:/ Sound difficulties for:

Chinese, Portuguese, 

Teaching TIPS:

Discovering the key muscles for the Close Vowels

Adrian Underhill is a legend in teaching Pronunciation and you can find on his blog a lot of useful information in this regard.You can access it on the links below:

Blog Articles:

‘Teaching /iː/  and /u:/  by ‘locating the LIPS’:

‘Teaching /iː/  and /u:/  by ‘locating the TONGUE’:

‘Teaching /iː/  and /u:/  by ‘locating the TONGUE’:

‘Discovering /ɪ/ and /ʊ/ on ‘the line of travel’ between /iː/ and /uː/

YouTube Videos

Pronunciation Skills: Vowels part 1 /i:/ and /u:/

Using HOMOPHONES

Homophones – Words which have the same pronunciation but different spellings.

See the homophones given above for each Close Vowel.

Using Minimal Pairs

Minimal Pairs – A Pair of Words that differ in meaning when only one sound (one phoneme) is changed.

You can find more Minimal Pairs (structured by English Level and with audio included) HERE, on EnglishClub.com

Using TONGUE TWISTERS

We have already noticed that some neighboring vowel sounds (/iː/ and/ɪ/; /uː/and /ʊ/are similar to each other and create confusion for Learners.

To help Learners noticing the differences between similar vowels and practice them in context we can make great use of TONGUE TWISTERS.

/uː/and /ʊ/

 He too took two looks.
/hiː   tuː  tʊk  tuː  lʊks/ 

The football hooligans looked gloomy. 
/ðə ˈfʊt.bɑːl /ˈhuː.lɪ.ɡəns  lʊkt ˈɡluː.mi.

  Oops, look it’s already noon.
 /uːps lʊk ɪts ɔːlˈred.i  nuːn /
/ʊps/

He stood on a spoon and looked at the moon.
/Hiː  stʊd ɒn  ə spuːn  ænd lʊkt ət  ðə muːn/

The cool wood was good food.
/ðə  kuːl  wʊd wəz ɡʊd  fuːd/

The woodpeckers at the zoo used wool for their room
/ðə ˈwʊdˌpek.ərz ət  ðə zuː juːst wʊl fɔːr  ðer ruːm/  /rʊm/

 

/iː/ and/ɪ/

 He took a chilly dip six feet deep in the sea. He says it keeps him fit.
/Hiː tʊk ə ˈtʃɪl.i  dɪp  sɪks  fiːt diːp ɪn ðə siː. Hiː seɪz ɪt kiːps hɪm fɪt/.

 Strict vegans eat beet chips with bean dip and keep meat and fish dishes out of reach.
/Strɪkt  ˈviː.ɡəns iːt biːt tʃɪps wɪð biːn dɪp ænd kiːp miːt aʊt əv riːtʃ/.

 He thinks he‘s slick in his sleek wheels meeting and greeting the elite.
/Hi: θɪŋks hiːz slɪk ɪn hɪz sliːk wiːls miː.t̬ɪŋ ænd ˈɡriː.t̬ɪŋ ðiː iˈliːt

More Tongue Twisters HERE

References:

How to teach pronunciation by Gerald Kelly, Longman, 2000.

The sound /i:/ – English Language Club

The sound /ı/ -English Language Club

 
 

How to remember IPA Phonems – English Jade

https://teflpedia.com/Close_front_unrounded_vowel

https://dictionary.cambridge.org

https://englishxp.co.uk/tongue-twisters/u-oo-tongue-twisters/ 

You can practice phonemes and sounds here:

http://cambridgeenglishonline.com/interactive_phonemic_chart/ 

https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/johnm/flash/rpvkey.htm

https://www.phon.ucl.ac.uk/home/johnm/flash/symword1.htm

More on English Pronunciation - HERE

I would love to know:

Do you feel comfortable teaching pronunciation?

What are some of your Struggles/Learnings/Tips?

Feel free to share in the comments below.
You never Know who you can help / inspire! 🙂 

Share:

This Post Has One Comment

Leave a Reply

On Key

Related Posts
All things ESL

The Vowel Sounds

🇺🇸Did you know that English has 20 vowel sounds but only 5 vowel letters? 🤯 No wonder pronunciation can be tricky! Each vowel sound has a specific place in your mouth, and knowing where to position your tongue, lips, and jaw will make your pronunciation much clearer and more natural. In this guide, we’ll explore English vowels step by step, helping you understand, practice, and master them. 🎯 Ready to take your pronunciation to the next level? Let’s dive in! 🚀✨
🇹🇷İngilizcede sadece 5 ünlü harf olmasına rağmen 20 farklı ünlü sesi olduğunu biliyor muydun? 🤯 Telaffuzun neden zor olabileceğini şimdi anlıyorsun! Her ünlü sesin ağzında belirli bir yeri vardır ve dilini, dudaklarını ve çeneni doğru konumlandırarak çok daha net ve doğal bir şekilde konuşabilirsin. Bu rehberde İngilizce ünlü sesleri adım adım keşfedecek, pratik yaparak ustalaşmanı sağlayacağız. 🎯 Telaffuzunu bir üst seviyeye çıkarmaya hazır mısın? Haydi başlayalım! 🚀✨

Read More
February 20, 2025
All things ESL

The Secret to Clear English Pronunciation

🇺🇸🔑 The secret to clear English pronunciation? It’s not just about listening and repeating—it’s about knowing where each sound lives in your mouth! 🗺️ Think of vowel sounds like locations on a map—if you don’t know their “address,” you might get lost. But once you do, Fl
uency is just around the corner! 🚀✨

🇹🇷🔑 Akıcı İngilizce telaffuzun sırrı ne? Sadece dinleyip tekrar etmek değil—her sesin ağzında nerede oluştuğunu bilmek! 🗺️ Harfleri bir harita gibi düşün—eğer seslerin “adresini” bilmiyorsan, kaybolman çok kolay! Ama bir kez öğrendiğinde, akıcı konuşmak sandığından çok daha kolay olacak. 🚀✨

Read More
February 20, 2025
All things ESL

Active or Passive? How to Choose the Right Voice!

🇺🇸Imagine you’re watching an action movie.
In one scene, the hero catches the villain.
In another, the villain is caught by the hero.
The action is the same, but the focus changes!

Active:
👉 The hero saved the city.
(Focus on who did the action: the hero.)

Passive:
👉 The city was saved by the hero.
(Focus on what happened: the city being saved.)

See the difference?
In an Active sentence, we highlight the doer of the action.
In a Passive sentence, we focus on the result.

Want to learn when and why we use the passive?
Keep reading! 🚀

🇹🇷
Bir aksiyon filmi izlediğinizi düşünün.
Bir sahnede kahraman kötü adamı yakalıyor.
Başka bir sahnede, kötü adam kahraman tarafından yakalanıyor.
Eylem aynı, ama odak değişiyor!

Etken:
👉 The hero saved the city.
      Kahraman şehri kurtardı.
(Odak, eylemi yapan kişi: kahraman.)

Edilgen:
👉The city was saved by the hero.
      Şehir kahraman tarafından kurtarıldı.
(Odak, ne olduğunda: şehrin kurtarılması.)

Farkıyı gördünüz mü?
Etken cümlede eylemi yapan kişiyi vurgularız.
Edilgen cümlede ise sonuç önemlidir.

Peki, Edilgen cümleleri ne zaman ve neden kullanıyoruz?
Okumaya devam edin! 🚀

Read More
February 13, 2025

İngilizce - Dünya dili ile Açıklayıcı ve Anlaşılır İletişim Kurun!

Size nasıl yardımcı olabilirim:

Bire Bir Kurs

YOUR WAY English

Gelişimine yatırım yapmak ve Yaşam ve Kariyer Fırsatlarını artırmak istiyorsan, Bire Bir İngilizce Kursu SENİN içindir.

Daha Fazla Bilgi

Aylık Grup Dersleri

İngilizce Öğrenme Topluluğu

Çünkü SEN zevk alırken geliştirmeye hak ediyorsun.

Seninle tam olduğun yerde buluşurum ve istediğin bir sonraki seviyeye geçmene yardım ederim.

Daha Fazla Bilgi

Aylık Konuşma Kulübü

İngilizce Konuşma Topluluğu

Çünkü bir dili öğrenmenin amacı İletişim kurma (Konuşma).

İngilizceyi daha iyi konuşma pratiği ile gelir ve gerçek iletişim bir topluluk içinde gerçekleşir.

8 Ders
8 Kişilik Grup

Daha Fazla Bilgi

Neden Marina Carmen ile İngilizce?

Çünkü tadınıçıkarark öğrenmeyi  hak ediyorsunuz.

Sizinle tam olarak kendi seviyenizde   buluşuyorum ve bir sonraki seviyeye ulaşmanıza yardımcı oluyorum.

Sizi hedeflerinize ulaştırmak ve öğrenme sitillerinize uygun kursları oluşturabilmek amacıyla hedefkitlemi  ve öğretim yöntem ve tekniklerini sürekli araştırıyorum ve uyguluyorum.

YOLCULUK BOYUNCA KAZANACAKLARIMIZ:

Etkili Öğrenme
Neşeli Öğrenme Deneyimi
Gerekli Uygulama
Gerekli Etkileşim
Bireysel çalışma ve Grupla Çalışma Arasında Doğru Denge.
(Her iki beceri de sadece İngilizceyi etkili bir şekilde öğrenmek için değil, gerçek hayatta da  kullanmak için gereklidir)
Destekleyici Öğrenme Topluluğu
Öğretmenin  Desteği ve  Rehberliği
Öğrendiklerinizi doğrudan günlük yaşamınıza aktarma.

What My Students say

Marina is an excellent teacher with so many features. First of all, she is a very warm and friendly person. Her pronunciation is very clear and easy for understanding. She very well guided me to improve my English conversation. I was very happy to have classes with her. Thanks :)
MustafaIT Engineer
Marina is patient and a great teacher who make me feel comfortable in the lessons. She is very attentive and gave me a lots of tips about fluency and grammar in lessons. I was very satisfied, thank you..
MuhametSoftware Engineer
You contributed a lot to my English speaking in the lessons we had with you, with the conversations we had outside the curriculum. You corrected me especially in my sentence and word mistakes and helped me to construct sentences correctly. I think the most important thing is that you communicate well with people and give personalized training. Thank you for everything
EmrahComputer Engineer
'You are one of my teachers who made me love English. No one has ever cared for us as much as you. I learned a lot from you. Thank you again for coming to our class and taking care of us, it is a great honor for me to meet you and join your class."
SENCER7 Grade Student
"First of all our lessons helped me a lot. Your teaching style is very good. It helped me a lot in learning English. You were always helped us if we didn't understand somewhere. Your activities were both taught and entertained us. I learned a lot in a year thanks to you. Thanks for everything that you do for us."
Mehmet Telli7 Grade Student
''Factors such as the teacher's reflexes, determination, ambition, teaching, and the desire to learn while teaching etc. are points that increase a student's performance and interest in the lesson. All of these features were more than enough in Marina. The fact that she came prepared for every lesson, took our questions seriously, and responded quickly to us increased our respect for her as students and our love for English. To summarize, Marina is a high-quality teacher who can improve English for students of all levels with her energy and knowledge.''
Hayati7 Grade Student
Previous
Next

Marina Carmen

Referans

* İNGİLİZCE ÖĞRETMENİ
İngiliz Dili ve Edebiyatı
* CELTA Sertifikalı
* DELTA kursta
* Uluslararası Şirketler için 7 Yıllık İş Deneyimi (İş Amaçlı İngilizce kullanarak)
* Türkiye’deki çeşitli K-12 Özel Okulları için 9 Yıllık Öğretmenlik Deneyimi
* 3 Yıl Serbest Çevrimiçi Öğretim

Hayat Felsefem:

“Küçük, günlük, görünüşte önemsiz iyileştirmeler, zaman içinde tutarlı bir şekilde yapıldığında şaşırtıcı sonuçlar verir.”

Resmi Biyo  HERE    

Misyonum

Türk Profesyonellerine, Heyecan verici, ilgi çekici ve öğrencilerimin yaşamlarıyla ilgili dersler aracılığıyla İngilizce – Dünya Dili – Açık ve Etkili İletişim Kurmalarını Sağlamak.

Neşeli Öğrenme Deneyimi

İngilizce Öğrenme Yolculuğunuzdan keyif almanızı sağlayacak ve ilerlemenize yardımcı olacak Öğretim Stilleri, Yöntemlerini ve Yaklaşımlarını birleştiriyorum.

Size sonuç veren kombinasyon

Gerekli Öğrenim Dönemi , Bireysel çalışma ve Takım İşbirliği arasında doğru denge. Öğrendiklerinizi doğrudan hayatınıza Aktarmak.

Sizin için Kitap Maliyeti Yok

Sonuç almak ve öğrenme sürecinizin tadını çıkarmak için ihtiyacınız olan tüm materyalleri ve etkinlikleri oluşturuyorum. Hepsi program ücretine dahildir.

Esneklik

Ders İçeriğine internet bağlantınız olduğu sürece dizüstü bilgisayarınızdan veya akıllı telefonunuzdan istediğiniz zaman erişebilirsiniz :)

Bültenime Abone ol

İngilizce’de özgüvenini ve akıcılığını geliştirmeni yardımcı olacak değerli bilgiler, ipuçları ve rehberlik almak istiyorsan. Değer garantisi (ücretsiz)

Bonuslar:

  1. İngilizce Öğrenim Programlarımı ilk öğrenen sen ol
  2. Özel indirim alabilirsin