Master the long /iː/ and short /ɪ/ sounds through focused repetition and listening exercises. This practice session reinforces Lesson 7's key concept: both 'e' and 'i' can represent these two distinct vowel sounds in British English. You'll practice word lists, minimal pairs (sit/seat, ship/sheep), and challenging tongue twisters designed to sharpen your ear and improve your articulation. Perfect for learners who want to train their pronunciation through hands-on practice rather than theory. Repeat, listen, and build muscle memory—no matter your starting level, consistent practice will help these sounds become natural.

Transcript:

Long e with letter E: see, me, be, these, complete, scene, tree, free, three, believe, receive, degree, theme, scheme, delete, extreme

Long e with letter I: machine, police, sardine, prestige, magazine, marine, cuisine, routine, limousine, hygiene, submarine, regime, tambourine

Short i with letter E: English, pretty, bucket, pocket, started, lended, helmet, velvet, secret

Short i with letter I: it, sit, him, big, sister, interesting, milk, sick, pin, picnic, win, fish, list, lift, hint

Minimal Pairs:

Sit - seat

Fit - feet

ship - sheep

dip — deep

chip — cheap

Bin – Bean

Pin – Peen

Lid – Lead

Rich – Reach

Bit – Beat

Sick – Seek

Him – Heap

Fin – Fee

Rip – Reap

Tongue twisters:

I see the sheep sleep deep in the green field.

Sick fish swim in the deep sea.

Pin the chip on the cheap machine.

The keen teen keeps the scene clean.

Big fish in a deep green sea swim free.

Pretty women with private seats sip tea.

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

Discover how the letters E and I share more than you might expect! In this episode, we break down the long /iː/ (“ee”) and short /ɪ/ (“i”) vowel sounds in British English, explore how both letters can produce the same sound, and practice minimal pairs to help you hear and pronounce them accurately. Perfect for learners looking to refine their English pronunciation and 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

Sharpen your British English vowels with this focused practice session on the four pronunciations of the initial A. In this episode, you’ll warm up with clear examples, drill minimal pairs to refine your ear, and test your control through mixed-word practice and playful tongue twisters. It’s a practical, repetition-based workout designed to build accuracy and confidence with one of the most common—and most confusing—vowel patterns in English. Perfect for learners who want targeted pronunciation training and steady improvement.

Transcript:

Unstressed Schwa; about - again - ago - around - aware - allow - alone - adapt - ahead - across - attend - attempt - amount - agree - apart - assist - achieve

Short /æ/ – apple, actor, attitude - average - annual - actual - anchor - Attic - album

Long a /eɪ/ April - agent - alien - able - ancient - apron - acorn - aces

/ɑː/ artist - archive - army - armour - artisan

Activity 1:

about – apple

again – actor

ago – agent

around – army

awake – able

allow – artist

alone – acorn

adapt – April

ahead – alien

across – armour

attend – alien

attempt – aces

amount – April

agree – acorn

apart – artist

assist – agent

achieve – army

Activity 2:

apple – agent – army – about

actor – able – artist – again

animal – alien – archive – alone

advantage – agent – army – amount

address – able – artist – again

arrow – able – army – about

aroma – agent – artist – alone

ate – apple – army – about

atlas – able – artist – again

Activity 3:

Angry ants always avoid amber apples.

An actual actor attacked an attractive anchor.

Able aliens ate apricot acorns all afternoon.

April’s agents arranged ancient aprons.

Army artists archive armour accurately.

Artisan armies argue around ancient arches.

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

Discover the secrets of English words that start with “A”! In this episode, we break down how stress, word origin, and surrounding letters determine whether the initial A sounds like /æ/, /eɪ/, /ɑː/, or the weak schwa /ə/. Learn the rules, spot the exceptions, and practice tricky words like address, arrow, aviation, and atlas to make your pronunciation more natural and confident.

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

Master the soft, unstressed “A” in English! This episode focuses on the schwa /ə/, the most common vowel in unstressed syllables. Through guided practice, you’ll learn to hear and produce the middle, initial, and final A schwa in words like banana, alone, and sofa. Contrast stressed vs. unstressed A, refine your ear, and practice naturally flowing English pronunciation with simple, repeat-after-me exercises.

Transcript:

Middle Schwa: Banana, Family, Animal, Company, Chocolate, elephant , celebrate, personal, president, different, support, cinema.

Initial Schwa: about - again - ago - around - awake - allow - alone - adapt - ahead - across - attend - attempt - amount - agree - apart - assist - achieve

Apple (/æ/) – about (/ə/)

Agent (/eɪ/) – alone (/ə/)

Army (/ɑː/) – again (/ə/)

Actor (/æ/) – around (/ə/)

Able (/eɪ/) – ago (/ə/)

Final Schwa: sofa - comma -pizza - idea - agenda - extra - drama - algebra - camera - tuna - banana - umbrella - formula - opera

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 “a” schwa — the soft, relaxed vowel that appears in unstressed syllables. You’ll hear how it works in real words like banana, about, camera, and sofa, and how it helps English flow more naturally. We look at examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words so you can start recognising the schwa by ear. This quick guide will help you tune into one of the most common sounds in English and build a more natural-sounding accent. Tune in and practise along.

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

You've conquered the grammar, built an impressive vocabulary, and can express complex ideas with ease. So why does your accent still give you away? If you've ever felt stuck in your pronunciation patterns, wondering why you can't seem to break through to that native British sound, you've hit what I call the pronunciation plateau. It's incredibly common for advanced learners, and it's frustrating precisely because you've come so far. This is about understanding why pronunciation work is so challenging, why it's actually about retraining muscle memory rather than learning new information, and how to move beyond "foreign-sounding" English to make British pronunciation an integral part of how you express yourself.

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

I’d like to introduce you to the schwa — English’s most common and mysterious vowel sound! In this episode of the British Vowel Sound Masterclass, we explore what the schwa is, how it appears in unstressed syllables, and why it’s essential for smooth, natural speech. Hear how it can appear as A, E, I, O, or U, with examples at the beginning, middle, and end of words. Perfect for non-native speakers aiming to improve pronunciation, fluency, and confidence.

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

Master the difference between the short /ɒ/ (as in what and hot) and the long /ɔː/ (as in water and talk). In this lesson, you’ll practice mouth positioning, tongue placement, and vowel length through repetition, word pairs, and tongue twisters. Perfect for sharpening your ear and improving your British English pronunciation. Exaggeration techniques included for maximum effect.

Transcript:

/ɒ/- What, hot, not, dog, lot, shop, clock, pocket, follow, hobby, What, watch, want, wallet, wash, wander,

/ɔː/- water, law, talk, walk, warm, thought, short, more, board, quarter, water, walk, talk, warm, wardrobe, warning,

(Minimal pairs 1)

hot — haaaawl,

not — nooorth,

dog — dawwwwrn,

what — waaa-ter,

cot — cooourt

(Minimal pairs 2)

what — water,

dog — talk,

watch — walk,

lot — law,

want — warm,

clock — caught,

pocket — board,

shop — short,

follow — fall,

wander — warning,

wash – warm,

wallet – wardrobe,

quantity – quarter,

not — north

(Minimal pairs 3)

dog — dawn,

cot — court,

rot — road,

got — gore,

pop — pour,

shock — shore,

cross — coarse,

body — board,

hobby — hoard,

off — or

(Tongue Twisters)

“Tom’s small shop sold lots of hot chocolate pots.”

“Tall Paul taught four warm dogs to walk by the shore.”

“Wanda watched Walter walk past the shop with a long, warm stopwatch.”

“Short dogs got lost on the long walk to the old forest.”

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 break down one of English’s most confusing vowel quirks — why the letter A sounds completely different in what and water. You’ll learn how to hear and pronounce the short /ɒ/ and long /ɔː/ vowels, understand what actually changes inside the mouth, and practise with clear word pairs to sharpen your accent. Perfect for learners who want a more natural, confident British pronunciation.

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