Skills
Levels
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English Vowel Sounds
Sound |
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/i/ |
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leak |
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keen |
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peat |
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beet |
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bee |
/I/ |
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lick |
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lit |
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kin |
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pit |
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bit |
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/ey/ |
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lake |
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late |
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cane |
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bait |
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bay |
/e/ |
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let |
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Ken |
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pet |
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bet |
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"ae" |
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lack |
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can |
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pat |
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bet |
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baa |
"ah" |
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lock |
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con |
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pot |
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bought |
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bah |
"uh" |
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luck |
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putt |
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but |
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"oo" |
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look |
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put |
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/u/ |
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Luke |
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lute |
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coon |
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boot |
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boo |
"er" |
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lurk |
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Kern |
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pert |
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Bert |
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burr |
/o/ |
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cone |
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boat |
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Bo, bow |
/ai/ |
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like |
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kine |
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bite |
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by |
/au/ |
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lout |
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pout |
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bout |
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bough |
/oi/ |
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coin |
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boy |
Some Generalizations (Not Rules) about English vowels and spelling
English vowels have "long" and "short" forms.
The long form is the "name" of the letter: The short form is as follows:
A
E
I
O
U
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/ey/
/i/
/ai/
/o/ or /ou/
/u/ or /yu/ |
a
e
i
o
u
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"ae"
/e/
/I/
"ah"
"uh" |
Long vowels are usually (but not always) indicated by a second (silent) vowel in the same syllable:
sheep |
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bait |
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heat |
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loaf |
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like |
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mice |
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tune |
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peace |
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juice |
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hoe |
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leave |
jay |
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slow |
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pony |
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(Sometimes "y" and "w" can function as a second vowel.) |
Short vowels usually stand alone within a syllable and are often followed by "double" consonants:
ran |
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jet |
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cup |
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doll |
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kiss |
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tick |
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lamb |
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witch |
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fast |
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hint |
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punch |
Note the difference:
hope
hop |
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hoped
hopped |
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hoping
hopping |
Notable exceptions:
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head
light
read
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give
sign
live
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gone
find
lead
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(sound is "short" despite silent second vowel)
(sound is "long" despite no silent second vowel)
(two pronunciations: long or short)
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