About the short i sound
The short i sound is /i/, as in itch. It is short and sharp. The mouth opens only a little, and the sound is made toward the front of the mouth. Try saying it with a big smile and the sound comes out right.
A tip for blending short i words: because the vowel is so quick, children sometimes skip over it and read sit as "st". Say the first sound, let the vowel have its own tiny moment, then finish: s-i-t. Tapping a finger for each sound shows that the vowel is a real part of the word.
Three of the words, fix, mix and six, end in the letter x, which stands for two sounds, k and s. They read as CVC words in practice, so we include them.
Mix-ups to expect
- Short i and short e, as in tin and ten, or pin and pen. This is the most common mix-up in the whole set. Listen for the smile: if your mouth stays small and your lips stretch, it is i.
- The letters b and d in bib, did, rib and kid. Say a rhyme: b has a belly at the end, d has a belly at the front. Any small trick that works for your child is fine.
- Rip and rib, or tip and tin, where the last sound is easy to miss. Say the ending sound alone, then the word again.
How to practice at home
- Make a pig, wig and fig picture sheet and let your child read each word first, then pick the matching picture.
- Do a "stand up, sit down" game: write sit on one card and hit on another, and have your child act out whichever you hold up.
- Read the -ip words together, then ask your child to think of a new one: if lip and sip rhyme with tip, what else might?
- Say each word slowly, and have your child count the sounds on their fingers. Every word on this page has exactly three, except the x words, which work out as four if you count the x as two.
- Pair short i words with short e words, like pin and pen. Reading both together is the most useful practice there is for this vowel.
A word ladder
A long ladder is possible with short i, since so many words share a vowel. Change one letter at each step:
pin → pig → big → dig → dip → tip → sip → sit
These are Tutorsaurus’s own lists, built from the words in our reading and spelling practice plus a few common additions. They are not an official list, and your child’s school may use different words.