The vowel digraph “ee” appears in many everyday words and makes spelling and reading easier once you recognize its pattern. In this reference, we’ll explore how “ee” works, how to pronounce it correctly, and see examples that will help you build your vocabulary and confidence in English. Let’s learn how the double “e” can make your English clearer and more fluent!
Vowel Digraph “ee”
What is the Vowel Digraph “ee”?
The vowel digraph “ee” is when two e letters appear together to make one long vowel sound. It usually sounds like /iː/ – the long “e,” as in see.
Pronunciation Guide
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/iː/ (long “e”)
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Your mouth is a bit wide, lips relaxed, tongue high in the mouth.
Check the example image to understand how /iː/ should look.
Play the example and feel how the /i:/ sound starts in “see.”
Examples of Vowel Digraph “ee”
Here are some words with “ee” making the long “e” sound:
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| see | /siː/ |
| tree | /triː/ |
| free | /friː/ |
| green | /ɡriːn/ |
| week | /wiːk/ |
| deep | /diːp/ |
| sleep | /sliːp/ |
| sheep | /ʃiːp/ |
| keep | /kiːp/ |
| teeth | /tiːθ/ |
Where Does “ee” Usually Appear?
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Middle of words: green, sleep, teeth
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Sometimes near the end: see, tree, agree
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Rarely at the beginning: (few examples like eel)
Words with Vowel Digraph “ee”
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| see | /siː/ |
| tree | /triː/ |
| free | /friː/ |
| three | /θriː/ |
| bee | /biː/ |
| been (UK) | /biːn/ |
| green | /ɡriːn/ |
| week | /wiːk/ |
| seek | /siːk/ |
| deep | /diːp/ |
| keep | /kiːp/ |
| sheep | /ʃiːp/ |
| sleep | /sliːp/ |
| sweep | /swiːp/ |
| steep | /stiːp/ |
| weep | /wiːp/ |
| creep | /kriːp/ |
| feed | /fiːd/ |
| need | /niːd/ |
| seed | /siːd/ |
| speed | /spiːd/ |
| bleed | /bliːd/ |
| breed | /briːd/ |
| greed | /ɡriːd/ |
| indeed | /ɪnˈdiːd/ |
| heel | /hiːl/ |
| steel | /stiːl/ |
| feel | /fiːl/ |
| peel | /piːl/ |
| reel | /riːl/ |
| keel | /kiːl/ |
| wheel | /wiːl/ |
| queen | /kwiːn/ |
| teen | /tiːn/ |
| seen | /siːn/ |
| screen | /skriːn/ |
| street | /striːt/ |
| fleet | /fliːt/ |
| sweet | /swiːt/ |
| sheet | /ʃiːt/ |
| beet | /biːt/ |
| meet | /miːt/ |
| feet | /fiːt/ |
| cheek | /tʃiːk/ |
| leek | /liːk/ |
| meek | /miːk/ |
| speech | /spiːtʃ/ |
| leech | /liːtʃ/ |
| beech | /biːtʃ/ |
| freeze | /friːz/ |
| sneeze | /sniːz/ |
| cheese | /tʃiːz/ |
| breeze | /briːz/ |
| fleece | /fliːs/ |
| esteem | /ɪˈstiːm/ |
| preen | /priːn/ |
| creek | /kriːk/ |
| agree | /əˈɡriː/ |
| decree | /dɪˈkriː/ |
| referee | /ˌrefəˈriː/ |
| degree | /dɪˈɡriː/ |
| fifteen | /ˌfɪfˈtiːn/ |
| thirteen | /ˌθɜːˈtiːn/ |
| nineteen | /ˌnaɪnˈtiːn/ |
| sixteen | /ˌsɪkˈstiːn/ |
| seventeen | /ˌsevənˈtiːn/ |
| eighteen | /ˌeɪˈtiːn/ |
| fourteen | /ˌfɔːˈtiːn/ |
| teenager | /ˈtiːneɪdʒə(r)/ |
| evergreen | /ˈevəɡriːn/ |
| oversee | /ˌəʊvəˈsiː/ |
| foreseen | /fɔːˈsiːn/ |
| foresee | /fɔːˈsiː/ |