The short monophthongs

KIT

StHE does exhibit a ‘KIT-split’, [ɪ] being the common realization in velar and glottal contexts, as in kit, big, sing, hit and give; and a more centralized vowel [ɪ] elsewhere, as in bit, fit, sin, bin etc. Particularly in older speakers the split is not as widespread, with the vowel in tin, mill, spin etc. often realized as high front [i]. There is some variation even in individual speakers, who might, for example, pronounce a high front [i] in tin and a rather central to back [ɪ] in mill. There is another notable anomaly to the split, in the realization of segments that are preceded by [s] and end in [k], such as sick and sixty where the /i/ vowel is articulated much further back and laxer, approximating . To a lesser extent, before /k/ the vowel is realized as central or even slightly back of central as in cricket and pick .