The Long E Vowel Sound in American English

Long e is a very common sound in American English. The good news is that you probably have a sound in your own language, or a sound that’s very similar.

To make long e, your mouth will stretch wide and almost close. The sides of your tongue will touch your top teeth.

Don’t Say Long E When You Need to Say Short I

Many English learners confuse the long e sound with the short i, or “ih” sound. For short i, your jaw and tongue are a little lower and your tongue is more relaxed. Try closing your eyes and thinking about lowering your jaw and tongue very slowly as you say “ee,” until you can’t say it anymore. Then, you’ll have a short i sound! Try it with me.

Now say these words with the long e vowel sound with me, from John chapter 1.

He
receive
believe
Jesus
seen
priests
deny
these
reason
tree

Long E Is Not a Moving Vowel

Long e takes more time to say than short e. Short e is a short blast of air – exit, end. Long e needs a little more time – tree, seen. Also, long e does not change its sound as you say it. It is not a moving vowel.

Next, let’s look at a vowel that does move. It uses the long e sound as part of the sound it makes. Click the button to learn the long a sound.