since · sense

since /sɪns/ vs sense /sɛns/ — short /ɪ/ (tongue high) vs short /ɛ/ (tongue lower). One of the subtlest vowel contrasts in English.

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One of the subtlest contrasts in English. since and sense are just one tongue height apart. Both start with /s/ and end with /ns/. The vowel is the only difference — and it's a small one.

⠿ reorder

A clock and calendar — since a point in time

preposition / conjunction — from a point in the past until now — 'since Monday' · 'I have lived here since 2018'

mouth shape

short /ɪ/ — tongue HIGH, jaw barely open — lips relaxed — like 'bit', 'sit', 'him'

since

/sɪns/

vowel length

short /ɪ/

⠿ reorder

Five senses — touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing

noun — one of the five senses, or a feeling, or good judgment — 'it makes sense' · 'common sense'

mouth shape

short /ɛ/ — tongue LOWER than /ɪ/, jaw drops slightly — like 'bed', 'set', 'ten'

sense

/sɛns/

vowel length

short /ɛ/

Key difference

since /ɪ/: tongue stays high — jaw barely moves — like bit, sit. sense /ɛ/: tongue drops a little — jaw opens slightly more — like bed, set. Say “ee” then relax your tongue slightly — that’s the move from /ɪ/ to /ɛ/.

Example sentences

since:“I have been waiting since 8 o’clock.”

since:“We have not spoken since the argument.”

sense:“Does this paragraph make sense to you?”

sense:“She has a very good sense of direction.”

Hear it in a sentence

“She has been living in Paris since March of last year.”

“It made no sense to drive when the station was two minutes' walk away.”

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.

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