Vowels
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Vowels |
Definition
There are 5 single vowels in English: a, e, i, o, and u. Sometimes, the letter y also functions as a vowel. Vowels are unique. English words are built upon vowels and must contain at least one per word. Vowels can be words just by themselves, such as the word "A" an article, or "I" referring to myself. Vowels have three different sounds: short vowel, long vowel, or r-controlled vowel sounds. These sounds can usually be determined by the pattern of the letters in the word or a vowel rule.
Single Short Vowels
Sounds
Practice: Click here to listen to the short vowel sounds of a-e-i-o-u.
Practice: More practice with short vowel sounds.
Patterns
Short vowel sounds in words can be identified by the Consonant-Vowel-Consonant pattern. A single vowel between two consonants is usually short.
Example: (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant) C-A-N: The vowel "a" is short because it is found between the consonants c and n.
Practice: Click here to practice single short vowels in words.
Single Long Vowels
Sounds
Practice: Click here to listen to the long vowel sounds of a-e-i-o-u.
Practice: Click here to listen to the long vowel sounds of a, i, o.
Practice: Click here to listen to the long vowel sounds of u,e.
Rules
1. Silent -e Rule: When -e is located at the end of a word, the vowel before the -e is long while the -e is silent. In most cases, the pattern of the word is Consonant-Vowel-Consonant-Silent E.
For example, in the word tape, the a is long and the e is silent.
Consonant Vowel Consonant Silent-e as in t-a-p-e
Practice with Silent -e: Click here.
More Silent -e Practice: Click here.
2. Two Vowels Together: Usually, when two vowels are written together, the first vowel is long and the second vowel is silent.
3. Vowel at the End of a Short Word or Syllable: When a short word ends in a vowel, it is usually long.
Examples: he, she, ago, go
4. When a vowel ends a syllable, it is usually long.
Examples: cha/os, de/cay, gi/gan/tic, i/den/ti/fy
Practice Long Vowels in Words: Click here.
Practice Short and Long Vowels in Words: Click here.
R-Controlled Vowels
A third type of vowel sound is the r-controlled vowel. When a vowel is followed by an r, it changes the sound. The vowel is not long and not short. The vowel sound is controlled by the r. Compare the two words frame and farm. The a in frame is long (silent-e rule) while the a in farm is an r sound. The a in farm is not short nor does it meet any of the long vowel rules. Whenever a vowel is followed by an r, it is r-controlled.
Practice r-controlled vowels: Click here.
More practice r-controlled vowels: Click here.
Y as a Vowel
When is y a vowel? Y is a vowel when it sounds like a vowel. This happens when y is located inside a word or at the end of a word. Depending upon its location, y has three different vowel sounds.
Y at the end of a one-syllable word sounds like long i.
Examples: my, by, sky
Y at the end of a two or more syllable word sounds like long e.
Examples: many, happy, baby
Y in a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern sounds like short i.
Examples: gym, myth
In studying this sound, please remember that the single vowel o and the double vowel oo are two different and separate vowels. The o sounds and the oo sounds are not the same.
Please click here to review the sound of o.The double vowel oo has both a short and a long vowel sound.
Examples of short oo: foot, book, cook
Examples of long oo: room, zoo, loose
Practice oo sounds: Click here.
More practice oo sounds: Click here.