Have you ever wondered or been asked by your child why ‘a’ in ‘cat’
and ‘cake’ sound different? Or why words like ‘cub’ and ‘cube’ are
pronounced differently though their spellings are almost similar? Well,
you are not alone!
The sounds of the letters of the English alphabet can vary quite
a bit. In some cases, it can get tricky. Not all letters make the
same sound in all words. Teaching preschoolers to read English
can be challenging as the letters can make different sounds
depending on how they are used. A case in point is the short and
long vowel sounds for preschoolers. Read on to find out how
your child can learn vowel sounds and recognize their
differences.
Learning short and long vowel sounds- what are they?
Learning phonics sounds is getting to know all about all vowel
and consonant sounds that make up the 26 letters of the English
alphabet. Each of the 5 vowels (a, e, i, o, u) can make at least 2
sounds. For example, the vowel ‘a’ sounds different in ‘cat’ and
‘cake’. How we spell with vowels does not always determine the
sound it makes.
Each vowel makes two sounds- a short sound and a long sound.
In some cases, they can be silent too! When a vowel makes the
sound of a particular letter, then it is a short sound. However,
when the vowel sounds like the letter’s name, then it makes a
long sound. The sound the vowel makes depends on its position
in the word and the letters that surround it.
For example:- the ‘a’ in ‘fat’ and ‘e’ in ‘bed’ make short vowel
sounds. While in ‘fate’ and ‘wheat’ they make the long vowel
sounds.
So, based on where and the vowel is placed in a word, its length
and sound can change. When teaching preschoolers to read, you
must help them understand the rules for what sound the vowels
make in different instances. Yes, short and long vowel sounds
for kids can be confusing at times. However, regular practice
with them to recognize the distinctions will help.
Rules to bear in mind while learning short and long vowel
sounds
Here are some basic rules to help you introduce short and long
vowel words for preschoolers. Do remember that rules have
exceptions too.
Rule No.
Vowel Position
Vowel Sound
Examples
1.
When a word has only one vowel and ends with a consonant
Vowel makes a short sound
‘a’ in ‘jam’
‘e’ in ‘west’
‘o’ in ‘hot’
‘i’ in ‘fish’
‘u’ in ‘cup’
2.
When a word has two vowels separated by two or more letters
The first vowel makes a short sound
as in ‘apple’
as in ‘octopus’
as in ‘basket’
as in ‘elephant’
as in ‘umbrella’
3.
When a word ends with the letter ‘e’ (magic ‘e’/ silent ‘e’)
The first vowel makes a long sound
‘cap’ becomes ‘cape’
‘kit’ becomes ‘kite’
‘tub’ becomes ‘tube’
as in ‘game’
as in ‘time’
4.
When a word has two vowels walking together the first one
does
the talking
The first vowel makes a long sound
The second vowel remains silent
as in ‘tie’
as in ‘boat’
as in ‘rain’
as in ‘value’
zzzhhii\\opi
as in ‘feet’
Here's a long and short vowel sounds list: few more examples
Vowel
Short Vowel
Long Vowel
Aa
‘fat’, ‘map’, ‘hand’, ‘lamp’, ‘glass’
‘fate’, ‘pain’, ‘game’, ‘mail’, ‘whale’
Ee
‘egg’, ‘red’, ‘nest’, ‘bell’, ‘smell’
‘ear’, ‘sea’, ‘heal’, ‘weak’, ‘three’
Ii
‘pig’, ‘rib’, ‘fist’, ‘milk’, ‘swim’
‘hide’, ‘tile’, ‘lime’, ‘wipe’, ‘prize’
Oo
‘fox’, ‘hop’, ‘rod’, ‘drop’, ‘pond’
‘road’, ‘goat’, ‘bone’, ‘note’, ‘roast’
Uu
‘bud’, ‘gun’, ‘hug’, ‘dump’, ‘puff’
‘rule’, ‘true’, ‘dune’, ‘flute’, ‘fruit