Unit goals
By the end of this unit, you will be able to:
- hear the difference between tense /iː/ and relaxed /ɪ/, and between /uː/ and /ʊ/;
- say minimal pairs like sheep / ship and pool / pull clearly enough to be understood;
- recognize and use the schwa /ə/ in weak syllables;
- read the IPA symbols for these five sounds.
About the audio
All the audio in this unit comes from the American English voice of your device (text-to-speech). There are no audio files, so every example, card and exercise can play.
- See what is playing. The button that is playing turns coral with moving bars. Tap it again to stop.
- Change the speed. Use Slow to hear each vowel clearly and Normal for shadowing.
- One voice for each character. Laura has a female voice and Marco has a male voice.
- Say it uses your microphone. Your browser asks for permission the first time. Nothing is recorded or saved. It works best in Chrome or Edge.
- Single words are very clear. In real speech, vowels are shorter and more connected. Practice both.
No sound? Check the volume and the silent mode of your phone.
Tense and relaxed vowelsCOMPLETED
English vowels come in pairs. A tense vowel uses more muscle and lasts longer. A relaxed vowel uses less muscle and is short. The difference changes the meaning of the word.
PROFT · REFERENCE CHART
Tense and relaxed vowels
Spanish has one i sound and one u sound, somewhere in the middle. So Spanish speakers often say ship and sheep the same way, or full and fool the same way. Some of these pairs can create very embarrassing mistakes, so this contrast is worth your time.
Smile a little, tense your lips and hold the sound.
Relax your face and lower your jaw a little. Keep it short.
Round your lips and push them forward. Hold the sound.
Lips only a little round, tongue relaxed. Keep it short.
Hear them in sentences
Practice 1: Which word?COMPLETED
Train your ear first. If you cannot hear a difference, it is very hard to say it.
Listen and choose
Listen and choose the word you hear. After you answer, play both words to compare them.
Practice 2: Odd one outCOMPLETED
Now listen to groups of words. Three words share a vowel sound and one does not.
Find the different vowel
Listen to the four words. Which word has a different vowel sound?
The schwa /ə/COMPLETED
The schwa is the most common sound in English. It is short, soft and relaxed, like a tiny uh. It appears in weak, unstressed syllables, and it can be written with any vowel letter.
PROFT · REFERENCE CHART
The schwa /ə/
In Spanish, every vowel is pronounced fully: ba-na-na. In English, only the strong syllable is full, and the weak syllables reduce to schwa: bə-NA-nə. Pronouncing every vowel fully is one of the strongest signs of a Spanish accent.
bəNAnə əGAIN təDAY PROBləm
kəmPUtər CAnədə səPORT LEmən
Practice 3: Find the schwaCOMPLETED
Listen to each word and tap every weak syllable with a schwa. Some words have one schwa, and some have two.
Tap the weak syllables
Tap the syllables with /ə/. Tap again to remove. Then tap Check.
Practice 4: Minimal pairs labCOMPLETED
Now it is your turn to speak. Complete one round of 10 in any mode. For the best results, finish with Say it.
How to play: choose the sounds and a mode. Which word? trains your ear. Same or different? trains your attention. Say it checks your pronunciation with the microphone.
Sounds in contextCOMPLETED
One vowel can change the whole meaning. Use the context to choose the right word, and then say the sentence with the right vowel.
Listen and fill in the blanks
Play each sentence and fill in the blank. The box has minimal pairs, so choose carefully. Tap a word to hear it and put it in the blank, or type it.
Vocabulary box
Minimal pairs. Tap a word to hear it. Some words are extra.
Dialogue: is this seat free?COMPLETED
Laura arrives at a meeting room and talks with Marco. Listen with the marks, repeat each line, and then hide the marks and shadow the full dialogue. Pay attention to the target vowels.
Personalize
Complete the sentences about you. Choose an option or write your own.
Vocabulary ideas
Choose one option for each blank, or write your own.
GamesCOMPLETED
Play to fix the sounds in your memory. Finish one game to complete this section, and come back to play again any time.
Sound order
How to play: tap Listen. Then tap the sounds in the right order. Each word has one extra sound that does not belong. Tap a sound in the box to send it back.
Memory: minimal pairs
How to play: find each word and its minimal pair, like sheep and ship. Every card says its word when you turn it, so listen to the difference.
Consolidation: read and pronounceCOMPLETED
Consolidate what you practiced. Listen to the model, tap Say it and say each item out loud. The app checks your pronunciation and marks any word it did not hear clearly. If it hears a homophone, like son for sun, it counts as correct, because both words sound the same.
Unit quizCOMPLETED
Ten questions about Unit 1. You need 8 out of 10 to complete the unit. You can take the quiz again as many times as you need.
Check your progress
Tap the audio button, listen and choose your answer. You will see the explanation right away.
Unit 1 complete
Before you move on, check what you can do now:
If you cannot check a box yet, go back to that section and practice a little more.
EL ADN DEL INGLÉS HABLADO · 8 UNITS