Sound Gym
mint · meant
Short /ɪ/ vs short /ɛ/ — same /m…nt/ consonant frame, one vowel change separates a herb from past intention.
noun — a fragrant herb used in cooking and drinks; OR a place where coins are made; OR informal for a large sum of money — 'mint tea' · 'peppermint' · 'the Royal Mint' · 'worth a mint'
mouth shape
short /ɪ/ — tongue high and forward, mouth nearly closed — like 'hint', 'print', 'stint' — clipped — no glide
mint
/mɪnt/
vowel length
verb — past tense of mean — to have intended or signified — 'what did you mean?' → 'what did you meant?' — 'I didn't mean that' · 'it was meant to be' · 'what does this meant?'
mouth shape
short /ɛ/ — mouth more open than mint — like 'bent', 'dent', 'sent' — jaw drops slightly — same /m…nt/ frame, different vowel height
meant
/mɛnt/
vowel length
Vowel spotlight — /ɪ/ vs /ɛ/ — same /m…nt/ frame
mint
/mɪnt/
short /ɪ/ — tongue high, mouth closed
like: hint · print · stint · glint
meant
/mɛnt/
short /ɛ/ — jaw drops more
like: bent · dent · sent · went
EA spelling — a trap for learners
The -ea- in meant looks like it should be long /iː/ (like “mean” /miːn/), but the past tense is irregular: mean → meant /mɛnt/. The vowel shortens. This is one of only a few -ea- words that use short /ɛ/ — others include head, bread, dead, read (past tense), sweat.
Key difference
Same /m/ and /-nt/ end. Only the vowel differs.mint: /ɪ/— tongue high, mouth nearly closed — like the vowel in “bit”.meant: /ɛ/— jaw drops slightly — like the vowel in “bed” or “bent”.
Example sentences
mint:“She added fresh mint to the lemonade.”
mint:“The antique car was in mint condition.”
meant:“I meant to call you, but I forgot.”
meant:“What did you mean by that? What did you meant — wait, no: past tense is meant, not meaned.”
Hear it in a sentence
“She added a sprig of fresh mint to the lemonade and stirred gently.”
“He meant to call her back but kept getting distracted by other things.”
Hear it in the wild
Real speech from native speakers — the most reliable way to check a pronunciation, since automated audio can vary by device and browser.
mint
Hear native speakers say “mint” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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meant
Hear native speakers say “meant” in real sentences — news, lectures, and podcasts.
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How teachers explain this
Approved tips from the community, sorted by helpfulness
Word families
mint family ▸
mean / meant family ▸
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