Category: I i

I i

I is for Ice

Crataegus sp.
This small hawthorn sits next to the shore of Lake Ontario, where the spray of wave action coated it with water on a cold, windy day.

I is for italic

Italic is a sloping typeface used for the following reasons:

emphasis                                                         

I say we should go.

foreign words                                                  

His work was his raison d’etre.

genus and species (biological)              

Icterus icterus (exotic bird).

the first occurrence of a word                           

Italic is a sloping typeface. Use italics…

titles of publications, works of art                     

A Field Guide to the Birds.

legal references                                    

The Official Languages Act.

names of ships, aircraft, trains, etc.                   

HMCS Haida

unknown quantities in mathematics                   

Let n represent the number of things…

letters and words under discussion                   

The letter I is a vowel.

some headings                                                 

I is for Ice. 

Italic type and handwriting are derived from the style of Italian Aldus Manutius (1449—1515). Modern italic handwriting is a hybrid of printing and cursive, without the loops of many schoolroom styles.

Exercises

  1. Search the Internet for “Icterus icterus” to find a photo of the bird and its common name.
I i

I is for Ichneumon Wasp

Family Ichneumonidae
Ichneumon wasps come in all sizes and a variety of colours. The long “tail” is an ovipositor.

 Prefixes

il— means before

ileum

ill— means not

illegible, illusion 

im— means before

impulse, improve

in— also means not

inability, inconsistent

in— or it could mean into

income, influx, ingrain, invite

infra— below

infrared, infrastructure 

inter— among, between

interchange, interfere, interlude

irr— means not

irregular, irresistible

iso— same

isomer, isosceles

Exercises

  1. Look at the list of examples of prefixes. Can you add a suffix onto any of them to create different words?
  2. Can you think of suffixes that start with the letter I?

Special reading assignment

  1. His interest is in iconography.
  2. Going into the interior, his instrument indicated that a new installation is important.

I i

I is for Iris

Iris prismatica var.
There is something delightful about the old-fashioned iris.

Long and short I sounds

The long letter I sounds like the letter in the alphabet and the pronoun, “I”.

ibex

icon

ion

file

while

These words have the short i sound.

bid

if

din

ding

ill

imagine

is

I is rarely, but sometimes, silent.

bruise

business 

Diphthongs

Diphthongs have a sliding sound, sometimes quite subtle.

—ia—

acacia, burial, liar, militia, phobia

—ie—

chief, die, lie, movie, niece

—io—

curio, lion, prior, riot, trio

—iu—

genius, radius, sodium, stadium

Rules of pronunciation

i before e, except after c, gives us the sound of ee (or ē).

piece, retrieve, thief

conceive, receive, receipt

Exceptions

die, lie, tie

science, hierarchy, diet

leisure, weight

Exercises

  1. Look for words containing diphthongs and pronounce them carefully.
  2. Look for words containing the letter i between two consonants. Is it a long I or a short i? Is the letter E affecting the way the I is said?

Special reading assignment

  1. Instinct influenced Ira’s immediate intentions to irrigate the iris.
  2. The item is inserted inside the icon.