Vowel Pairs
A vowel pair or vowel team is any two or more letters making a
vowel sound. This includes the vowel pairs of aw, ow, ew and
igh.
 When a word ends with the sound of /k/ and is preceded
by a vowel pair, that sound is spelled with the letter k.
 ay is only found at the end of a word or syllable. It is your
first choice for the long ā sound at the end of a word or
syllable.
o ai is your first choice for the long ā sound in the
middle of a word or syllable.
 When a word ends with the sound of /ch/ and is preceded
by a vowel pair, that sound is spelled with the letters ch.
 oy is found at the end of a word or syllable. It is used
before a vowel expect in the words oyster and gargoyle.
(boy, deploy, enjoy, foyer, voyage)
o oi is the first choice for the /oi/ sound in the middle
of a word or syllable. (boil, coin)
 oi is also used for the /wa/ sound in words of
French origin. (savoir-faire)
 ow is found at the end of words. (cow, slow)
o often followed by n or l (fowl, own)
o makes the long ō sound in past tense verbs (shown,
flown)
 aw is the only spelling for the short ŏ sound at the end of a
word. (Regional dialect may dictate what sound this vowel
pair makes in a word.) (law) Often followed by n or l.
(lawn, crawl, bawl)
 ea will make the short ĕ sound in the middle of the word
(head, dead)
o ea will make the long ē sound in any position (lease,
ease, sea)
o ea makes the long ā in these 3 words: great, steak
and break.
 ai is your first choice for the long ā sound in the middle of
a word or syllable.
o ai is often followed by n or l
 oa is usually found in single syllable words making the long
ō. This can be taught in first grade. (boat, soap)
 ou is found at the beginning or middle of a word or
syllable
o often followed by –nd (found, out)
o Makes the oo sound in French derived words
 au is found at the beginning or middle of a word or
syllable (author, faucet, haunt)
 ie makes the long ī sound at the end of one syllable words
(pie, tie, die)
o Makes the long ē sound in the middle of a syllable.
(chief, thief, field, shield)
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o i before e except after c
eigh is found at the end of a word (neigh, weigh)
o Can be followed by t (weight, freight)
ough makes the long ō and oo sounds. (though, through)
o Makes the short ŏ (/aw/ sound in this region of the
country) when followed by t.
ei makes the long ē sound in the middle of a syllable
(receive, seize, neither)
o Makes the long ā sound in middle of a syllable and is
often followed by n or gn (vein, reign)
augh is always followed by a t when it makes the /aw/
sound (taught, caught)
oe is only found at the end of a word (Joe, toe, oboe)
ui is found in the middle of a word or syllable (fruit, suit)