Today, we’re embarking on a new journey to prepare for the 2026 TOEFL Speaking “Listen and Repeat” task—a brand-new challenge where every detail matters. To earn a perfect score, you must repeat each spoken sentence with complete accuracy. This task isn’t just about memory; it’s a true test of your pronunciation, attentive listening, and rhythm.
With that goal in mind, we’ll start from the foundation: mastering the essential American English phoneme sounds. In this first session, we’ll focus on two vowel sounds that many non-native speakers often confuse—but to native ears, they sound completely different.
The first is the tense (long) /i/ sound, as in peach, reach, and each.
The second is the lax (short) /ɪ/ sound, as in pitch, rich, and itch.
Here’s how we’ll practice:
First, you’ll listen to sentences without text on the screen, just like the actual TOEFL “Listen and Repeat” task. Repeat each sentence exactly as you hear it.
Then, you’ll hear the same sentences again—this time with the text displayed. first listen carefully and then repeat.
Your job is to listen carefully and repeat every word accurately, paying close attention to sounds, stress, and rhythm.
If you’d like to learn the mechanics of producing these two vowel sounds and practice with words with these sounds and minimal pairs of long i and short i sounds,, check out Dr. Byrnes’ English Pronunciation Course. It’s affordable, has a five-star rating on Amazon and Audible, and when purchased through Dr. Byrnes’ website, you get the updated version—including the eBook, audiobook, and video lessons.
Alright, let’s get started!