Probable mistakes with vowels- #1

The first problem, and perhaps the most evident, will occur in the vicinity of the front/high vowels.  The English /iy/ as in eat and /I/ as in bit ,are very likely to be perceived and produced as Portuguese /i/ as in pipa, thus neutralizing the contrast between words like:

beach /biytsh/ - bitch /bItsh/
bead /biyd/ - bid /bId/
beat /biyt/ - bit /bIt/
cheap /tshiyp/ - chip /tshIp/
eat  /iyt/ - it /It/
feel /fiyl/ - fill /fIl/
feet /fiyt/ - fit /fIt/
green /griyn/ - grin /grIn/
heat /hiyt/ - hit /hIt/
heel /hiyl/ - hill /hIl/
lead /liyd/ - lid /lId/
leap /liyp/ - lip /lIp/
least /liyst/ - list /lIst/






Since the English phonemes /iy/ and /I/ carry a very heavy functional load, any neutralization in this area becomes a problem of major significance.


source:
Schütz, Ricardo. "Os Fonemas Vogais do Inglês e do Português." English Made in Brazil <http://www.sk.com.br/sk-voga.html>. Online. 28 de maio de 2008.