Minimal pair · Standard German in Germany; stressed citation forms
German /ɪ/ vs /iː//ɪ/ / /iː/
Learn to hear the difference between ɪ and iː in German words.
Practice these sounds/ɪ/
The vowel in this first set
A near-close, unrounded vowel. Compare its quality with the other category, not just its duration.
As inbitten
/iː/
A close, long vowel
This German vowel differs in quality as well as length from /ɪ/.
As inbieten
WHAT TO LISTEN FOR
A small change.
A different word.
Bitten/bieten, Mitte/Miete and Schiff/schief keep the consonants and replace the stressed vowel. Duration and vowel quality work together.
Listen for the target sound in each word.
A common trap
The doubled consonant spelling in bitten and Mitte does not mean a separately repeated consonant in the way Italian geminates work.
Sound examples
Tap to hear each wordbitten
/ˈbɪtən/ask; requestMitte
/ˈmɪtə/middleSchiff
/ʃɪf/shipKind
/kɪnt/childFisch
/fɪʃ/fishbieten
/ˈbiːtən/offerMiete
/ˈmiːtə/rentschief
/ʃiːf/crookedliegen
/ˈliːɡən/to lie in a positionBiene
/ˈbiːnə/beeZiel
/tsiːl/targetstieg
/ʃtiːk/climbed, past tenseStiel
/ʃtiːl/stalk or handle13 words. Words stay hidden during practice unless you choose to reveal them.