English has both short and long vowels. Mixing them up changes the meaning of a word — and can cause misunderstanding!
In many languages, vowel duration does not change meaning. In English, it does. The words ship /ʃɪp/ and sheep /ʃiːp/ are completely different words — only the vowel length differs.
/ɪ/
short
as in "ship"
/iː/
long
as in "sheep"
/ʊ/
short
as in "full"
/uː/
long
as in "fool"
/æ/
short
as in "cat"
/ɑː/
long
as in "cart"
👆 Click any card to hear the sound
Practice
Minimal Pairs
These word pairs differ only in vowel length. Listen carefully — can you hear the difference?
ship
/ʃɪp/
↔
sheep
/ʃiːp/
bit
/bɪt/
↔
beat
/biːt/
full
/fʊl/
↔
fool
/fuːl/
cat
/kæt/
↔
cart
/kɑːt/
not
/nɒt/
↔
note
/nəʊt/
Speaking Practice
Record Yourself
Listen to the native pronunciation, then record yourself. Play back and compare — do the vowels sound the same length?
Practice word: ship /ʃɪp/ vs sheep /ʃiːp/
Tip: The short /ɪ/ in "ship" is brief and slightly relaxed. The long /iː/ in "sheep" is stretched — your mouth stays tense and slightly smiling. Hold the long vowel for noticeably longer.
Quiz
Minimal Pair Test
Listen to the word and choose the correct spelling.
✓
Module 1 Complete!
You've studied short vs. long vowels, practiced minimal pairs, recorded yourself, and completed the quiz. Great work!
