Name: ____________________________ Date: _________ Per: _____ Topic: Consonants & Vowels – Word Work On a separate sheet of paper, answer each of the following questions using complete sentences. Complete one section at a time throughout the week. Items in parenthesis, are meant to help answer that question and are not separate questions. Unless noted, questions refer to the English Language as used in America. 1. How many consonants are there in the English Language? 2. What is a consonant? (What makes a letter a consonant? Hint: it’s about the sound it makes) 3. How many vowels are there in the English Language? List them. 4. What is a vowel? (What makes a letter a vowel? Hint: it has to do with the sound it makes) 5. Why is “y” sometimes considered a vowel? When is it a vowel? When is it a consonant? -------------6. Do all words need to have vowels and consonants? 7. Can you name any words made up of consonants only? 8. Can you name any words made up of vowels only? 9. If “u” is a vowel, then is “w” a vowel too? Why or why not? (Slowly say the letter “w” out loud.) 10. Give an example of a word that uses “y” as a consonant. Explain why it’s a consonant and not a vowel in that word. -------------11. What is a long vowel sound? What symbol is used to indicate a long vowel sound? Give an example. 12. What is a short vowel sound? Generally, what symbol is used to denote this sound? Give an example. 13. What is a syllable? 14. Find four words with more than three syllables. Write those words broken into syllables. 15. What is a schwa? What is the symbol for schwa? Come up with three “other” examples of words that contain a schwa sound. -------------16. Do other languages besides English have vowels and consonants? Do you know any examples? 17. List a word that has three consonants in a row. Four. Five? (“Other” words, not from the list.) 18. Can you list a word that has three vowels in a row? Four? Five? (“Other” words, not from the list.) 19. When communicating, we can be either formal or informal. Weather we are formal or informal depends on the words we use, how we structure our sentences, and the tone we use when speaking. Like the activity in the book, create an example of formal and informal communication. For example, imagine that you would like to go see a movie. How might you informally ask a friend to go? How might you formally request permission from a parent? 20. Often times text messages are very informal and contain a lot of text abbreviations. Create an informal text message that you might send to a friend. Turn your informal text message into a formal communication. Remember, formal and informal is not just about the words you use – it’s also how you structure your sentences and the tone used. Bonus: what NEW word is misspelled on this page? This Week’s Words: Unexpected Consonant Spellings Vowels in Unstressed Syllables 1. penguin 1. vitamin 2. language 2. medicine 3. parachute 3. continent 4. Michigan 4. material 5. examination 5. probably 6. executive 6. opinion 7. exhibit 7. Saturday 8. exhausted 8. treasure 9. whirlpool 9. finally 10. meanwhile 10. popular 11. distinguished 11. bulletin 12. guacamole 12. competition 13. extinguish 13. invitation 14. brochure 14. literal 15. chauffeur 15. binoculars 16. chandelier 16. senator 17. exempt 17. cemetery 18. exotic 18. ingredients 19. exertion 19. episode 20. overwhelming 20. substitute