Ship and sheep, the two I sounds

1. 1
   ship/ʃɪp/

   noun

   A large boat that carries people or goods across the sea.
2. 2
   sheep/ʃiːp/

   noun

   A farm animal kept for its thick woolly coat.
3. 3
   cheap/tʃiːp/

   adjective

   Costing little money.
4. 4
   chip/tʃɪp/

   noun

   A thin slice of potato fried until crisp.
5. 5
   sit/sɪt/

   verb

   To lower yourself onto a chair or the ground.
6. 6
   seat/siːt/

   noun

   A place kept for one person to sit, as on a plane or in a theater.
7. 7
   fill/fɪl/

   verb

   To put enough into something to make it full.
8. 8
   feel/fiːl/

   verb

   To notice that you are in some state, like tired, cold, or happy.
9. 9
   list/lɪst/

   noun

   A set of names or things written down one after another.
10. 10
    least/liːst/

    adverb

    To the smallest degree of all.

The sentences

1. Is there room on the ship that leaves at noon?

2. Do you take sheep on the ferry to the island?

3. Is there a cheap seat left for today?

4. Would you like the last chip in the bag?

5. Where can we sit while we wait to board?

6. Is this seat by the window still free?

7. Could you fill this in before we board?

8. I feel better once the boat starts moving.

9. Is my name on the list for today?

10. Which crossing is the least crowded in the morning?

Pronunciation

• ship/ʃɪp/

  Short, clipped i — /ʃɪp/. Cut it off fast and it won't come out as sheep.

• sheep/ʃiːp/

  Long ee, /ʃiːp/. Hold the vowel about twice as long as in ship.

• cheap/tʃiːp/

  The ea is the long ee of see — /tʃiːp/, not the short i of chip.

• chip/tʃɪp/

  Short i, /tʃɪp/, so the whole word is over quickly.

• sit/sɪt/

  Short i, /sɪt/ — no ee in it at all.

• seat/siːt/

  The ea is a long ee — /siːt/, the drawn-out cousin of sit.

• fill/fɪl/

  Short i, /fɪl/, then straight into the l.

• feel/fiːl/

  Long ee, /fiːl/. Let the vowel run before the l.

• list/lɪst/

  Short i, /lɪst/, with the s and t crisp at the end.

• least/liːst/

  The ea is a long ee — /liːst/, so it rhymes with feast.

Questions

What's the difference between ship and sheep?

Ship has a short, clipped i (/ʃɪp/), while sheep has a long ee sound (/ʃiːp/) held about twice as long.

How do you ask if a seat is free in English?

You can ask "Is this seat by the window still free?"

What does least mean in this scene?

Least means to the smallest degree of all, like when you ask which crossing is the least crowded.