The vowel that shortens when the word grows

1. 1
   sleep/sliːp/

   verb

   To rest with your eyes closed.
2. 2
   decide/ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

   verb

   Choose what you are going to do.
3. 3
   wide/waɪd/

   adjective

   Far from one side to the other.
4. 4
   heal/hiːl/

   verb

   Get well again.
5. 5
   crime/kraɪm/

   noun

   An act the law punishes.
6. 6
   nation/ˈneɪʃən/

   noun

   A country with its own government.
7. 7
   wise/waɪz/

   adjective

   Showing good sense.
8. 8
   serene/sərˈiːn/

   adjective

   Deeply calm.
9. 9
   extreme/ekˈstriːm/

   adjective

   As great as it can get.
10. 10
    compete/kəmˈpiːt/

    verb

    Try to beat others at something.

The sentences

1. I couldn't sleep at all last night.

2. We need to decide where to eat tonight.

3. The road is wide enough for two trucks.

4. The doctor said it will take a few weeks to heal.

5. There's very little crime in this part of town.

6. The whole nation watched the final game together.

7. That was a wise choice, if you ask me.

8. The lake looks so serene early in the morning.

9. The heat out there is pretty extreme today.

10. Six teams will compete for the cup this year.

Pronunciation

• decide/ˌdɪˈsaɪd/

  The stress is on the second syllable, and the first is a quick di: /dɪˈsaɪd/.

• nation/ˈneɪʃən/

  The t sounds like "sh," as in "station."

• serene/sərˈiːn/

  The stress goes on the second syllable, which rhymes with "green."

• extreme/ekˈstriːm/

  The stress goes on the second syllable, which sounds like "stream."