/ɛ/

The /ɛ/ is a mid-front, lax vowel - think of it as halfway between the high /ɪ/ ("sit") and the low /æ/ ("sat"). Here's how to produce it:

1. Position your tongue mid-low and forward in your mouth, with the tip resting gently behind your bottom front teeth.

2. Open your jaw moderately - more than for /ɪ/ but less than for /æ/.

3. Keep your lips relaxed and unrounded, with the corners slightly pulled back.

A helpful sequence to feel the vowel positions: say "sit, set, sat" slowly. Notice how your jaw drops progressively with each word, and /ɛ/ sits right in the middle.

Learners often confuse /ɛ/ with neighboring vowels:

• Saying /æ/ instead ("bat"): If "bed" sounds like "bad," close your jaw a bit more. The /ɛ/ doesn't need as much opening as /æ/.
• Saying /eɪ/ instead (the diphthong in "day"): If "get" sounds like "gate," make sure the vowel stays short and steady. The /eɪ/ glides upward; the /ɛ/ does not move.
• Saying /ɪ/ instead ("bit"): If "pen" sounds like "pin," drop your jaw slightly lower.

• e (most common): bed, red, get, set, yes
• ea: head, bread, dead, instead, heavy
• ai (rare): said, again

The contrast test: Say "bet" and "bat" back to back. If they sound the same, you're likely using too much jaw for "bet." Try keeping your mouth slightly less open for /ɛ/ while maintaining that forward tongue position.