Why does time follow the rules, but give and machine don’t? In this episode, we unpack the truth behind the magic e rule, explain why some words only look predictable, and give you a simple way to approach i-e pronunciation with confidence in real English.

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

In this practice episode, you’ll train the main vowel sounds represented by the letter I in British English. Through guided repetition, minimal pairs, and sentence-level contrasts, you’ll learn to hear and produce the difference between tense and relaxed vowels — including sounds like /iː/, /ɪ/, /ə/, /ɜː/, /aɪ/, and /ɪə/. This session focuses on clarity, accuracy, and avoiding common pronunciation mistakes that can lead to confusion or awkward misunderstandings. Ideal for learners who want to sharpen their British pronunciation through focused, practical training.

Transcript:

/iː/ — machine, police, magazine, sardine, routine, vaccine, marine

/ɪ/ — sit, bit, give, live, village, image, engine

/ə/ — possible, family, pencil, medicine, original

/ɜː/ — bird, first, girl, shirt, third, skirt, dirty, birthday, thirteen, confirm

/aɪ/ — time, fine, like, nine, side, bite, mine, pipe, drive

/ɪə/ — ear, hear, pier, tier, weird, fierce, bier, experience, idea, theatre

Minimal pairs:

ship /ʃɪp/ — sheep /ʃiːp/

bit /bɪt/ — beat /biːt/

live /lɪv/ — leave /liːv/

fill /fɪl/ — feel /fiːl/

slip /slɪp/ — sleep /sliːp/

bin /bɪn/ — bean /biːn/

sin /sɪn/ — seen /siːn/

rid /rɪd/ — read /riːd/

lick /lɪk/ — leak /liːk/

tin /tɪn/ — teen /tiːn/

Mix up:

machine — sit — possible — bird — time — ear police — bit — family — first — fine — pier marine — give — pencil — shirt — like — weird routine — live — medicine — dirty — nine — fierce vaccine — village — original — thirteen — side — experience

Sentences:

“I live here.” “I leave here.”

“Did you fill it?” “Did you feel it?”

“He bit the rope.” “He beat the rope.”

“I didn’t slip.” “I didn’t sleep.”

“Can I have that seat?” “Can I have that sit?”

“He gave me a leak.” “He gave me a lick.”

“She threw a pitch.” “She threw a peach.”

“It was very cheap.” “It was very chip.”

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

In this episode of the British Vowel Sound Masterclass, we explore how a single letter — “I” — represents multiple vowel sounds in British English. You’ll review familiar sounds and discover a few new ones, including the long /iː/, short /ɪ/, the stressed “er” /ɜː/, the weak schwa /ə/, and key diphthongs such as /aɪ/ and /ɪə/. This episode shows why spelling alone can’t be trusted and how learning sound patterns and word families leads to more accurate pronunciation. This episode prepares you for the next practice-focused session, where you’ll train these sounds and build real confidence in your British 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

For years, language learners have been told: “Don’t focus on pronunciation.” “Your accent is beautiful.” “Every accent is unique.”

Pronunciation isn’t about losing your accent. It is about reclaiming clarity, confidence, and presence. In this episode, we explore why so many advanced English speakers feel their voice doesn’t match their intelligence, and how small changes in pronunciation can restore authority without sacrificing identity.

If this episode resonated with you, follow the podcast for more conversations like this. And if you’d like personalised support in refining your pronunciation without erasing your accent, you can work with me one on one on italki.

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

Why does work sound like werrrk when it’s spelled with an o? In this episode, we unpack one of the most confusing features of British pronunciation: the /ɜː/ sound. With clear explanations, grouped practice words, minimal pairs, and tongue twisters, this lesson will help you stop trusting the spelling and start trusting the R.

Practice Transcript:

Spelled with 'e': her, term, serve, early, person, learn

With 'o': work, word, world, worth, worse, worm, worst, worthwhile, attorney

With 'i': bird, first, girl, shirt

With 'u': nurse, turn, burn, church

Practice 2:

her, bird, nurse, work

term, girl, turn, word

serve, first, burn, world

early, shirt, church, worth

person, bird, nurse, worse

learn, girl, turn, worm

person, girl, nurse, word

Minimal pairs:

Word - ward, work - walk, world - wall, worse - wars, worth - north, worm - warn

Tongue Twisters:

I like to walk to work in warm weather.

The worm on the war ship worships workplaces

The early bird turns and learns to work.

Were the worst words worth the work?

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

This guided practice episode helps you train the e schwa, the most common weak vowel sound in English. You’ll practice how it appears at the end, in the middle, and at the beginning of words, focusing on relaxation, rhythm, and smooth transitions rather than clear vowel shapes. We start with the most reliable endings such as er, en, and el, then move on to common middle schwa patterns, and finish with unstressed e at the start of words, where pronunciation can vary depending on speed and accent. This episode is designed to help you reduce effort, improve flow, and sound more natural in connected speech.

Transcript:

-er (uhr): teacher, driver, player, worker, baker, manager, leader, owner, member, partner, computer, number, paper, summer, letter

-en (uhn): open, broken, written, taken, given, garden, listen, happen, children, often, golden, sudden, heaven, seven

-el (uhl): travel, model, level, label, novel, cancel, vowel, tunnel, panel, angel

Middle e schwa: different, camera, general, interest, average, moment, student, patient, parent, president, independent, permanent

Initial e schwa: effect, event, enough, explain, exit, exist, elect, emerge, enable, engage, economy, election

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

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.

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

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