Identify the word in which the middle sound ( underlined ) is different from that in other words:

Question

Accepted Answer

Option 2, "hit," is the correct answer because the middle sound in this word is different from the middle sounds in the other options. Let's analyze each option to understand why:

1. **Option 1: seen** - The middle sound in "seen" is the long vowel sound /iː/, as in "beet" or "meet." This is a long vowel sound.

2. **Option 2: hit** - The middle sound in "hit" is the short vowel sound /ɪ/, as in "bit" or "sit." This is a short vowel sound, which is different from the long vowel sounds in the other options.

3. **Option 3: heat** - The middle sound in "heat" is the long vowel sound /iː/, similar to "seen." This is a long vowel sound.

4. **Option 4: brief** - The middle sound in "brief" is the long vowel sound /iː/, similar to "seen" and "heat." This is also a long vowel sound.

In summary, Options 1, 3, and 4 all contain the long vowel sound /iː/ in the middle of the word. In contrast, Option 2, "hit," contains the short vowel sound /ɪ/, making it the word with a different middle sound. Therefore, Option 2 is correctly identified as the word with a different middle sound.