British English · Modern RP
← Sounds libraryhappY /i/
The unstressed final vowel in happy, city and coffee.
What to listen for
Use /i/ in an unstressed word-final syllable. It is not the short KIT vowel /ɪ/, and the course writes it without the FLEECE length mark /ː/. Do not turn the final syllable into the main beat.
- happy /ˈhæpi/
- city /ˈsɪti/
- coffee /ˈkɒfi/
Keep the contrast clear
Compare stressed FLEECE /iː/ in seat /siːt/ with unstressed happY /i/ in happy /ˈhæpi/. Spelling alone is not a guarantee: word-final y can represent other vowels, as in my /maɪ/.
Compare the FLEECE vowel →