nice · niece
nice is /naɪs/ — diphthong /aɪ/. niece is /niːs/ — long /iː/. Same ending — only the vowel changes.
Same ending consonant /s/, different vowel: nice has the diphthong /aɪ/ (like time), niece has the long /iː/ (like see).
adjective — pleasant, kind — 'a nice day' · 'that's very nice of you'
mouth shape
diphthong /aɪ/ — mouth opens wide then glides toward a smile — ends in voiceless /s/
nice
/naɪs/
vowel length
noun — your brother's or sister's daughter — 'my niece is visiting' · 'I have two nieces'
mouth shape
long /iː/ — lips stretched wide like a smile, tongue high and forward — ends in voiceless /s/
niece
/niːs/
vowel length
Key difference
nice /naɪs/ and niece /niːs/ both end in a voiceless s — only the vowel changes. Say “time” then “see” back to back: one is a gliding diphthong, the other a long, steady vowel with lips stretched wide.
Example sentences
nice:“It was nice to meet you.”
niece:“My niece is coming to stay with us this summer.”
Hear it in the wild
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nice
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niece
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How teachers explain this
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