The audio here is generated speech. A recorded human voice for this lesson is on the way.
One letter, two main sounds
The letter I has a short sound and a long sound. Short I, in "sit", "big" and "ship", is quick and relaxed: tongue high but loose, lips neutral. Long I, in "time", "nice" and "ride", is actually two sounds in one, sliding from "ah" to "ee": say "ah-ee" quickly and you have "I". A silent E at the end usually signals the long one: "bit" becomes "bite", "rid" becomes "ride".
The short I causes the most trouble, because many languages don't have it. Learners replace it with the tight "ee", so "ship" becomes "sheep" and "live" becomes "leave". Keep short I loose and short.
Hear the difference
Tap each word. Then test your ear.
Short I is loose and quick. "Ee" is tight, with a smile.
Say it out loud
Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.
Long I: "nice", "time", "ride", "bike" all slide from "ah" to "ee".
Practice · 3 min
Repeat each sentence. Make every short I quick and loose, and let every long I slide from "ah" to "ee". Record the second sentence and check that "live", "in", "little", "village" and "hills" all use the same short, relaxed sound.
Say it today
Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.