The Concept of Tense and Lax in English Vowels
Vowels in English can be characterized in various ways; one of these ways is the lack or presence of tension in the muscles in your jaw and chin. The presence of tension or tenseness refers to "tense vowels" such as the tense "i," and the absence of tension refers to "lax vowels" such as the lax "i."
Tense "i" is represented by this phonetic vowel: /iy/. On the other hand, lax "i" is represented by this other symbol: /ı/
Tense "i" examples: /iy/
sheep /ʃiyp/
eat /iyt/
beat / beet /biyt/
deed /diyd/
feet /fiyt/
heat /hiyt/
meat / meet /miyt/
Pete /piyt/
read / reed /riyd/
seat /siyt/
Lax "i" examples: /ı/
ship /ʃıp/
it /ıt/
bit /bıt/
did /dıd/
fit /fıt/
hit /hıt/
mitt /mıt/
pit /pıt/
rid /rıd/
sit /sıt/
VIDEO EXERCISE: CONTRASTIVE WORDS
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE SUBJECT
Let's take a look at the following chart that summarizes which vowels in English are lax and which ones are tense:
To fully explore the concept of the lack or presence of tension in vowels, you may read the article on this Web-page:
To practice with the difference in vowel quality between /iy/ and /ı/ work on the following links:
Exercise for homework:
TRANSCRIPTION EXERCISE WITH LAX /ɪ/
In order to become familiarized with the phonetic symbols you are studying, transcribe these very common words pronounced with /ı/. The first four are given to you as examples.
in /ın/
him /hım/
miss /mıs/
quick /kwık/
is
sit
list
inch
if
did
fish
still
with
live
since
bring
his
give
ship
fill
this
think
wind
six
which
big
sing
wish
if
hill
spring
milk
will
kill
trip
skin
Here you will find the answers:
