How to tackle WAEC Test of Orals: Vowel / ɪ /

Vowel / ɪ / is pronounced almost the same way / iː / is pronounced. However, it is slightly pronounced and shorter than / iː /. 

/ ɪ /

'i' dip, fit, slip, ship, pill, kin, minute 

'y' merry, bury, company, busy, myth

'e' respect, receive, examine, expect

'ui' build, guilt, guild

Sounds contrast 

You would have notice that / iː / and / ɪ / are almost pronounced alike. There is however a slight difference that you have to take note of, if you will pronounce the two sounds well. In the production of / iː / (earlier stated that it is pronounced just the same way you will pronounce letter 'e'), you have to drag it (remember how you drag your legs reluctantly when you don't want to heed mommy's instructions?), while the production of / ɪ / ends quickly. Let's take some examples:

/ iː /     / ɪ / / iː /        / ɪ / / iː /       / ɪ /

read     rid peel pill feel        fill

deed    did keen kin lead lid

sheep  ship sheet shit feet         fit

beat      bit deep dip cheap chip

Module 2: Pronounce / ɪ / in the underlined letter in the past tense forms of the following verbs

wait / weɪt /.......................Present tense

waited / weɪtɪd /[WAYTID]....Past tense

           

paint / peɪnt /.....................Present tense

painted / peɪntɪd /[PAINTID]....Past tense

add / æd /....................Present tense

added / ædɪd /[ADDID]....Past tense

guide /gaɪd /.......................Present tense

guided / gaɪdɪd /[GUYDID]....Past tense

Would you now try the following on your own 

faint

start

scold

shade

Module 3: Pronounce / ɪ / in the underlined letter in the following words 

i. toilet is to be pronounced TOILIT

ii. bucket is to be pronounced BUCKIT

iii. basket is to be pronounced BASKIT

iv. casket is to be pronounced KASKIT

Now try to pronounce the following words:

i. wicked is to be pronounced……………………..

ii. picket is to be pronounced……………………….

iii. packet is to be pronounced………………………

iv. socket is to be pronounced………………………

Module 4: Pronounce / ɪ /, not / eɪ / [HAY], in the underlined letter in the following words

i. damage is to be pronounced DAMIG

ii. courage is to be pronounced KORIG

iii. village is to be pronounced VILIG

iv. language is to be pronounced LANWIG

v.     mortgage is to be pronounced as MOGIGDE

Module 5: Pronounce / ɪ / in the underlined letter in the following words

i. knowledge is to be pronounced NORLIG

ii. palace is to be pronounced PA[R]LIS

iii. privilege is to be pronounced PRIVILIG

iv. women is to be pronounced WIMIN

Module 5: Pronounce / ɪ / in the plural marker--es-- (suffix) of the following nouns

singular      plural 

house        houses /haʊzɪz/

bus            buses /bʌsɪz/

bush          bushes /bʊʃɪz/

case          cases /keɪsɪz/

judge        judges /ʤʌʤɪz/

Module 6: Pronounce / ɪ / in 'est-ending in words, especially the superlative forms of adjectives. 

honest

finest

fastest

loudest

Practice Exercise

1. sick

A. marine

B. tribunal

C. Knowledge

D. vital

2. market

A. mortgage

B. bachelor

C. get

D. enter

3. sit

A. creature

B. colleague

C. wanted

D. police

4. bill

A. seal

B. need

C. bit

D. ninth

5. build

A. busy

B. freak

C. police

D. caprice