Lessons Unit 1, lesson 3

ɛ as in bed

One short vowel, on its own page. It is quick and short — hear it alone, then find it inside each word below, then say the words yourself.

What do the marks mean?

ˈriːdread Stressed part — say it louder & longer.

təto Weak word — say it quickly & softly.

∅e Silent letter — don’t pronounce it.

θth Underline — these letters spell one sound.

wa·ter Dot · — a syllable break.

go‿on Linked — blend the words together.

?↗︎↘︎ Arrows — voice rises ↗︎ or falls ↘︎.

ˈsɛvən7 Number — how to say it aloud.

read² ² mark — has a second pronunciation.

guess? ? mark — a best guess; double-check it.

Want the full walkthrough? Read the map explains every mark, with practice.

ɛthe e in bed

Mouth half-open, tongue resting in the middle. Short and clear: e — bed, men. Don't let it slide toward ay.

bed

men

net

egg

Now say it yourself

Read each word from its sheet, out loud, three times. Where there's a play button, listen first and copy what you hear. Slow is fine — speaking clearly matters more than speaking fast. Tap a word's microphone to record yourself and see which sounds landed.

hen

leg

elf

end

wet

vet

Why this sound is hard

This vowel sits right between ɪ (bit) and æ (bat), so learners often let it slide toward one side or the other. Watch out for it creeping up toward the glide in eɪ too — bed should never sound like "bayd". Keep your tongue in the middle of your mouth, jaw half-open, and cut the sound off cleanly.

A quick self-test

Compare men with man and with mane. Men sits in the middle: not as wide as man, not gliding like mane. Try the same test with net, gnat, and Nate to feel all three positions.

Spellings that hide this vowel

The most common spelling is a plain e before a consonant, as in bed, men, net, hen, leg, elf, wet, vet. Watch for the doubled consonant in egg, which still spells the same short vowel — the second letter doesn't add a sound, it just keeps the vowel from stretching.