Long E Sound: Speech Therapy Guide, Words & Games
The long E sound is written /iː/ in the phonetic alphabet, and most children master it by age 3. This guide covers how to make the long E sound, 42 practice words split across initial, medial, and final position, and the errors children make most often.
Example Long E words: even, easy, eat, either (beginning); here, need, mean, people (middle); me, we, he, be (end).
The "ee" vowel in bee, see, green and happy. The tongue sits high and far forward in the mouth and the lips spread into a slight smile. It is one of the two "corner" vowels children produce earliest.
How to Make the Long E Sound
Ask for a big smile — the lip spread does most of the work. If it sounds like "ih" (bit instead of beat), the tongue is too low: have your child hold the sound out long ("eeeeee") so they can feel the high, tense tongue position.
IPA Symbol: /iː/
Most children master the long E sound by age 3. Vowels come in earlier than most consonants: children generally have their full vowel system before the late-developing consonants such as /R/, /S/ and /TH/. Vowel errors are far less common than consonant errors, so one that is still there in a school-age child is worth raising with a speech-language pathologist.
Common Long E Sound Errors
- Substituting the short I sound (Short I as in sit) for the long E sound.
Long E Word Lists by Position
Practice these words organized by where the long E sound appears. Start with the position your child finds easiest, or open the complete Long E word list.
Initial Long E Words
long E at the beginning of words
Medial Long E Words
long E in the middle of words
Final Long E Words
long E at the end of words
More Long E Word Lists & Resources
All Long E Words
Complete 42-word list across every position
Initial Long E Words
14 words with practice tips
Medial Long E Words
14 words with practice tips
Final Long E Words
14 words with practice tips
Speech Sound Development Chart
What age each speech sound should appear
All Speech Sounds
Guides for every sound we cover
Related Sounds
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