ee

Everyday

1. (UK, Northern England dialect) «Ee!» is a cry of surprise or feeling, like «oh!»: «Ee, it's cold!»; also «ee by gum». tree →
2. (Scots) «Ee» means eye; the old plural is «een». tree →
3. (spelling) «ee» is a common letter pair making the long «ee» sound, as in «tree», «sheep», «green». tree →
4. (a name) EE is a British mobile phone company. tree →

In the lessons

In phonics lessons pupils learn «ee» as a digraph (two letters, one sound): «see», «feet», «bee». In stories set in Yorkshire, Lancashire or the North East of England, characters say «Ee!» or «Ee, lad». In Scots poems and songs, «ee» means eye. In everyday life, EE is a phone network.

Examples

• «Ee, it's grand to see you!» said Grandma from Yorkshire. tree →
• «Ee by gum!» is an old Northern English way of saying «my goodness!». tree →
• The letters «ee» make the sound in «sheep». tree →
• «Bee», «tree» and «free» all have «ee». tree →
• In the Scots poem, «ee» means eye. tree →
• My mum's phone is on EE. tree →

Note

Not a standard English word on its own; it is dialect, a spelling pattern or a company name. In writing use «oh» or «eye». The long «ee» sound can also be spelt «ea» (sea), «e» (me), «ie» (field) or «y» (happy).

In Jewish tradition

In phonics lessons pupils learn «ee» as a digraph (two letters, one sound): «see», «feet», «bee». In stories set in Yorkshire, Lancashire or the North East of England, characters say «Ee!» or «Ee, lad». In Scots poems and songs, «ee» means eye. In everyday life, EE is a phone network.

Note

Not a standard English word on its own; it is dialect, a spelling pattern or a company name. In writing use «oh» or «eye». The long «ee» sound can also be spelt «ea» (sea), «e» (me), «ie» (field) or «y» (happy).

Early Modern English

Meaning

A squeal or cry, or the vowel sound "ee" in a pronunciation guide. tree →

Then and now

Today "ee" is a Northern English cry of surprise. In these sentences it is a squeal from an animal or a sound written to show pronunciation.

Examples

• But he wants my bacon! gree-ee-ee!" (The Aesop for Children / With pictures by Milo Winter) tree →
• AEgisthus (ee-jiss'-thus, th as in both), 305. (Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome) tree →
• Thus AEneas may be pronounced A-na'-ahss; Aides ah-ee'-daze. (Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome) tree →

Note

Today: eee; the sound "ee" as in "see".