American English - EE [i] Vowel - How to make the EE Vowel

In this American English pronunciation

在這美國英語(美語)發音影片中，

video, we’re going to learn how to

我們將會學習

pronounce the EE as in SHE vowel.

如何發出「i:」，「ʃiː」的發音。

This vowel is common to many

這個音常見於很多的語言中。

languages.

To make it, the jaw drops just a little bit.

發這個音，下巴只要下垂一點點。

The tongue tip stays behind the bottom

舌尖輕觸下齒後面

front teeth. The middle/front part of

舌的中間或中前部份

the tongue arches up towards the roof

呈弓形升起

of the mouth, diminishing the space

頂在嘴前段位置，減少在

between the tongue and the roof of the

舌頭和嘴的前段之間的空間。

mouth.

嘴角有一點點拉寬，

The corners of the lips pull a little wide,

ee. They’re not quite relaxed.

「i:」，它們不會完全放鬆。

Let’s see this sound up close and in

讓我們近距離和

慢動作看看。

slow motion.

A little jaw drop, tongue tip down and

下巴有一點點下垂，舌尖向下並

forward while the top front of the

同時舌頭呈弓形

tongue arches towards the roof of the

頂在嘴前段位置

mouth. The corners of the lips pull out.

嘴角是拉開的。

In the word ‘please’, the EE vowel is

例字please「pliːz」，「i:」是

stressed. Same position.

重讀的。一樣的位置

When stressed, the vowel has the up-

當重讀時，發音是沿曲線

down shape of a stressed syllable: EE.

由上而下的。「i:」。

When unstressed, it’s lower and flatter

當非重讀的，他是低音、平坦、

in pitch, quieter, and faster, ee. This is a

輕聲和快速的，「i」。

這音讀的非重讀是非常常見於

very common ending unstressed vowel

in American English because of all of

美語的，因為所有

the words that end in Y, like the word

用「Y」結尾的字詞，像是Busy「bɪzi」

‘busy’. Let’s see this word up close and

讓我們近距離

in slow motion.

和慢動作看看。

Jaw drops, top front of tongue arches

下巴下垂，舌頭前段呈弓形頂起

up, and the corners of the lips pull out.

同時嘴角是拉開的。

Let’s compare the stressed EE in

讓我們對比一下上方重讀的「i:」，please「pliːz」

‘please’, on top, with the unstressed EE

和在下方非重讀的「i」，Busy「bɪzi」

in ‘busy’, on the bottom. You can see

你可以看見

the mouth position for the unstressed

非重讀的「i」嘴型

EE is a little more relaxed. The jaw

是更放鬆的

doesn’t drop as much.

下巴下垂得更少。

A more relaxed mouth position for the

嘴型更放寬於

unstressed version of a vowel or

非重讀的變化於元音或

diphthong is very common because

雙元音是非常常見的，

they are shorter. So, there is less time

因為他們的音會更短，所以

to make the full mouth position.

沒有充足的時間去造完整的嘴型。

Stressed EE: need, EE

重讀「i:」，need「niːd」。

Unstressed: busy, ee

非重讀，Busy「bɪzi」，「i」

EE, ee. EE, ee.

「i:」，「i」，「i:」，「i」

Example words. Repeat with me:

字詞例子，請跟我讀︰

Keep, early, police, coffee, meet, each.

Keep, 「kiːp」「iː」「kiːp」

early, 「ɜːrli」「i」「ɜːrli」

police, 「pəˈliːs」「iː」「pəˈliːs」

coffee, 「ˈkɑːfi」「i」「ˈkɑːfi」

meet, 「miːt」「iː」「miːt」

each, 「iːtʃ」「iː」「iːtʃ」