3.2. Muscle Memory Practice: SILVER

English has 2 different ways to pronounce /i/:

  • Long /i:/ as in GREEN
  • Lax /ɪ/ as in SILVER

In this section, we are going to get to know the lax /ɪ/ sound, as in SILVER, THIS, SIT, IS

EXAMPLE

We don’t have the lax /ɪ/ sound in bahasa Indonesia. Therefore, we usually pronounce it the same as the long /i:/ (as in ini, kita, lima in bahasa Indonesia). Actually, those are two completely different sounds!

Now, let’s compare the actual lax /ɪ/ sound vs. how we usually pronounce it using the “Indonesian accent”:

How to Pronounce: The Silver Sound
  • Make sure that you have practiced the /i:/ (as in GREEN) sound on the previous section to have better understanding.
  • Then, open your mouth wider than when you pronounce the /i:/ sound to produce the /ɪ/ sound.
  • Lax means relaxed, so you have to stretch your lips but keep then relaxed while pronouncing it.. Or in other words, pronounce it lazier!
  • This sound is neither /i/ nor /e/; it’s in between. It is a new sound for Indonesian speakers so we have to practice it often!
Muscle Memory Building Practice

Listen to the examples and practice them out loud as many times as you need! Practice it daily to make you sound better & more clear.

/ɪ/ at the front:

/ɪ/ in the middle:

Scroll to Top