The Letter I

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Content The Letter I

Understanding the Letter I – Definition and Sounds
Writing the Letter I – How to?
The Letter I – Example Sentences and Words

Words with the Letter I

The Letter I – Summary
The Letter I – Frequently Asked Questions

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Basics on the topic The Letter I

Introduction to the Letter I

Dive into the fascinating world of vowels with the letter I. As the ninth letter of the alphabet, I/i plays an important role in reading and writing. Understanding this letter is key to mastering the English language and expanding your vocabulary. Join us as we learn about the letter i and its different sounds.

Understanding the Letter I – Definition and Sounds

The letter i is a vowel and the ninth letter in the English alphabet. It typically makes the short /i/ sound as in "igloo". It can also make the long I sound, which is pronounced as /eye/ , like in "ice cream."

These sounds are used very often in the English language, and telling them apart is crucial for proper pronunciation. The short /i/ sound is more closed and quick, while the long I sound is drawn out and open. Learning more about long and short vowels will be helpful here. The letter i often makes a sound like ‘eye’ when it is combined with other letters in digraphs and trigraphs such as /igh/ in night, /ie/ in pie and as a split digraph /i_e/ in like.

What is the short sound that the letter i makes?

Can you name a word that has the long "I" sound?

Is the letter i more frequently used as a vowel or a consonant?

Writing the Letter I – How to?

Writing the letter I is straightforward. Start with the lower case 'i' by making a single vertical line downwards with a dot above it. Your child may also be taught how to form the letter with lead in and lead out strokes in preparation for joined up handwriting. For this, follow the steps below:

Step	Instruction
1	Start on the black line
2	Whoosh to the top.
3	Come straight back down the line.
4	Finish with a small flick.
5	Take your pencil off the paper and add a small dot above the line.

To form the capital I by drawing a single vertical line, and in print, add horizontal lines at the top and bottom. Enhance your writing skills further with exercises and activities available on our website.

The Letter I – Example Sentences and Words

The letter i is versatile and can be found at the beginning, middle or end of words. Here are some example sentences that showcase the different sounds of the letter i:

"The insect buzzed inside the igloo."
"She found the ice to be incredibly cold."

Words with the Letter I

Check out this table which displays words that begin with, contain or end with the letter i:

Begin With	Contain	End With
insect	finding	kiwi
igloo	light	taxi
ice	pencil	spaghetti
island	digit

The Letter I – Summary

Key Learnings from this Text:

The letter i is a vowel and the ninth letter of the English alphabet.
It has both a short ( /i/ ) and a long ( /eye/ ) sound. Learning more about long and short vowels will be helpful.
The letter I is often spotted in digraphs, trigraphs and split digraphs.

Practice the letter i through various fun activities and crafts, and watch as it becomes a familiar friend in your daily reading and writing!

The Letter I – Frequently Asked Questions

What are the two sounds of the letter i?

Is the letter i always pronounced the same in every word?

Can the letter I be a word by itself?

What is an example of a word that starts with the letter i?

How do you teach a child to write the letter i?

Why is it important for children to learn the letter i?

Do vowels always make the same sound in every word?

What are some activities to help children learn the letter i?

How can I help my child remember the sounds of the letter i?

What are some crafts that can reinforce learning the letter i?

Transcript The Letter I

Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about /i/. This is the letter I, it makes the sound /i/.This is a capital /I/ and this is a lower case /i/. They both make the /i/ sound like in insect, igloo and in! Let's practise the /i/ sound with Kala! "/I/, /i/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with /i/? "There's an iguana, that starts with /i/!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with /i/? "There's some ink that also begins with /i/!" Uh-oh! /I/ is hiding with the other letters! Can you help find /i/ in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learnt all about /i/, we listened to and made the /i/ sound, we found words that begin with /i/ and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and try to find the invitation and inflatable hidden in the garden! Comment below when and where you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next sound!

The Letter I exercise

Would you like to apply the knowledge you’ve learnt? You can review and practice it with the tasks for the video The Letter I.

Which one is the correct letter?

Hints

Listen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.

This is an _____.

Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?

Solution

The correct letter is i. This makes the /i/ sound.
What sound does the letter make?

Hints

The word in starts with the sound.

Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word it?

Solution

The correct sound is /i/.
Find the objects that begin with i.
Hints

There are 4 items that start with i to highlight.

Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?

Listen carefully to the names of the objects.

An inhaler is used by someone who has asthma to help them breathe.

Solution
The four items that begin with i are:
- insect
- inhaler
- iguana
- ink
What is the word?
Hints

What sound does the word start with?

What other sounds can you hear?

Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.

Solution
The words are:
1. tin
2. pin
3. sing
4. fill
Help Kala find the colour that begins with i.

Hints

Listen to the sound. Which colour begins with this sound?

Say all of the colours out loud. In which one do you hear the /i/ sound at the beginning?

There is one correct choice.

Solution

Indigo starts with /i/.
Can you put the words in the correct group?

Hints

Listen carefully to this word. Do you hear i at the beginning or in the middle?

Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it i or a different sound?

There are 2 words that begin with i and 4 words that have i in the middle.

Solution

Ill and indoors have i at the beginning.
Bin, pink, fig and mix have i in the middle.