5 exercises mapping IPA vowel symbols to common IT words.
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1 / 5
The IPA symbol /iː/ represents the long vowel sound in which IT-related word?
/iː/ is the long "ee" sound, made with the tongue high and forward, lips slightly spread. You hear it in machine (mə-SHEEN), as well as in "key", "beep", "screen" and "queue". It is a tense vowel, held slightly longer than its short counterpart /ɪ/. Compare the pair "bit" /bɪt/ (short) versus "beat" /biːt/ (long): "machine" clearly ends in the long /iː/ sound. Getting this contrast right matters in IT because words like "feel" /iː/ and "fill" /ɪ/ change meaning entirely.
2 / 5
The short vowel /ɪ/ (as in "bit") appears in which word?
/ɪ/ is the short, lax "ih" sound, with the tongue slightly lower and more relaxed than for /iː/. It is the stressed vowel in commit (kə-MIT) and also appears in "bit", "git", "script", "fix" and "system". Do not stretch it into "comm-eet" — keep it short and clipped. The /ɪ/ vs /iː/ distinction is one of the hardest for many learners: "ship" /ʃɪp/ has /ɪ/, while "sheep" /ʃiːp/ has /iː/. In programming, "bit" and "beat" should never sound the same.
3 / 5
The vowel /ʌ/ (the "uh" sound in "cup") is found in which IT word?
/ʌ/ is a short, central "uh" sound, produced with the mouth relaxed and slightly open. It is the stressed vowel in bug /bʌɡ/, and also in "run", "function", "but", "dump" and "trunk". It is not rounded — the lips stay neutral, unlike the /ʊ/ in "put". Be careful: "bug" /bʌɡ/ and "book" /bʊk/ have different vowels. Many learners over-round /ʌ/, making "bug" sound like "boog"; instead, keep the lips relaxed and the sound short and central.
4 / 5
The vowel /ɒ/ (the short rounded sound in British "lot") appears in which word?
/ɒ/ is a short, rounded back vowel used in British English, as in log /lɒɡ/, "doc", "swap" and "hot". The lips round slightly and the mouth opens, but the sound stays short. In American English this vowel is often unrounded (closer to /ɑː/), so "log" sounds a little more open and longer. Either way it differs from "loop" /uː/ and "lease" /iː/. When dictating "log file", keep the vowel short and rounded — do not lengthen it into "lawg" unless you are deliberately using an American /ɔː/.
5 / 5
The vowel /æ/ (the "a" sound in "cat") is the stressed vowel in which IT word?
/æ/ is a short, fairly open front vowel, made with the mouth wide and the tongue low and forward. It is the vowel in patch /pætʃ/, and also in "stack", "hash", "lambda", "cache" and "app". Do not confuse it with /e/ as in "bet": "patch" should not sound like "petch". Learners whose first language lacks /æ/ often substitute /e/ or /ʌ/. Spread the lips and drop the jaw to get the full open quality. In tech, "cache" /kæʃ/ rhymes with "cash" — both use /æ/.