The Short Vowel Rule

Short Vowel Rule: When there is one vowel in a word, either at the beginning or
between two consonants, it usually has the short vowel sound.
1. Short vowel a words
ant
ax
wax
can
fan
man

pan
ran
van
gas
bag
tag

2. Short vowel e words

egg
bed
leg
fed
sled
red
step
nest
tent
3. Short vowel i words
dig
pig
wig
dip
hip
lip

wag
flag
cap
map
nap
ham

jam
and
band
hand
sand
lamp

test
vest
west
web

jet
met
net
pet

hen
men
pen
ten

fell
hell
sell
well

get

wet

bell

smell

rest

tip
pin
sin
tin
win
did

hid
kid
lid
bib
fib
rib

4. Short vowel o words

God
hop
nod
mop
pod
pop
rod
top
sod
drop

stop
cot
dot
got
hot

crib
fist
list
milk
silk
swim

cat
bat
hat
pat
rat
sat

sit
bit
fit
hit
pit
mitt

bad
dad
has
mad
sad
glass

fill
hill
kill
pill
will
him

jot
not
pot
rot
tot

fox
ox
box
pox
mom

cob
mob
rob
sob
pond

dug
hug
jug
mug
rug

tug
cuf
puf
gum
yum

bus
dump
hump
jump
pump

5. Short vowel u words

cub
tub
bud
mud
gull

gun
run
sun
cup
pup

buzz
but
cut
nut
bug

6. Short vowel words that end in ck

black

neck

sock

duck

quack

sick

jack
pack
sack
tack
black

check
speck
dock
lock
rock

block
clock
flock
knock
stuck

truck
cluck
pluck
stuck
truck

snack
track
kick
lick
pick

brick
chick
quick
stick
trick

___________________________________
The Long Vowel Rules

Long Vowel Rule (1): When a word has two vowel, usually the first vowel says its
name and the second vowel is silent.
1. Long vowel a words
mail
nail
pail
rail
sail
tail
came
game
name

gain
main
pain
rain
train
mane
vane
wave
save

bake
cake
lake
make
rake
take
pale
sale
whale

2. Long vowel e words

sea
tea
reach
teach
beak
weak
heal
meal
real

seal
beam
team
bean
mean
heap
leap
ear
dear

fear
hear
near
bee
tree
free
feed
need
weed

3. Long vowel i words

hide
ride
side
tide
wide
bride
glide
pride
slide

bike
like
hike
file
mile
pile
tile
smile
while

4. Long vowel o words

dime
lime
time
chime
dine
fine
line
mine
pine

ape
tape
ate
hate
late
date
gate
bait
wait

beef
meek
seek
feel
heal
peel
hear
meat
seat

vine
wipe
pipe
ripe
rise
wise
size
prize
die

paint
day
hay
lay
may
pay
say
way
clay

gray
play
pray
stay
stray
tray
fade
made
grade

wheat
seem
seen
teen
green
deep
peep
weep
creep

sheep
sleep
deer
feet
meet
beet
greet
key
three

pie
tie
fire
hire
tire
wire
bite
kite
white

dive
five
hive
cry
dry
fly
fry
try
sky

road
load
toad
oak
soak
foam
roam
soap
boat
5. Long vowel u words
suite
fruit
juice
cute
flute
dune

coat
goat
hoe
toe
rode
joke
poke
spoke
smoke

hole
pole
stole
home
bone
cone
tone
stone
hope

June
tune
prune
blue
clue

true
use
fuse
dew
few

glue

hew

rope
nose
rose
close
chose
hose
note
vote
dove

stove
bow
low
mow
row
tow
blow
crow
flow

grow
know
show
slow
snow
throw
boast
roast
toast

new
pew
crew
knew
mule

chew
drew
grew
screw
threw

flew
slew
stew
mew
cube
Tube

rule

blew

Long Vowel Rule (2): If a word has one vowel and it comes at the end of the word,
that word usually has a long vowel sound.
6. Long vowel words that follow Rule 2:
he
we
why
lo
me
by
go
no
she

my

so

so

yo-yo
be

Exceptions:
do

hi

to

Long Vowel Rule (3): The vowel i and o have the long vowel sound when followed by
two or more consonants usually has a long vowel sound.
7. Long vowel words that follow Rule 3:
child
mind
light
bind
blind
night
find
grind
right
Hind
high
bright
Kind
fight
flight

old
cold
fold
hold
told

colt
colt
jolt
volt
both

most
post
roll
toll
stroll

_______________________________________________

Diphthongs, Modified Vowels and Vowel Digraphs

A diphthong is two vowel sounds in one syllable.

1. The diphthong ow and ou make the ow sound as in cow.

blouse
House
mouse
Found
Hound
Pound
Round
Sound

cow
bow
how
now
wow
plow
owl
fowl

dowel
towel
vowel
growl
our
hour
flour
loud

out
pout
about
scout
shout
snout
sprout
route

crown
clown
frown
down
gown
town
mouth
south

ouch
pouch
couch
tower
power
flower
shower
mountain

ground

howl

proud

brown

count

Thousand

2. When the consonant r after

Modified vowels - r words:
bar
star
car
bard
far
card
gar
guard
jar
hard
mar
yard
par
ark
tar
bark
spar
dark

3. The diphthongs
oil
boil
coil
fail

the vowel a, it changes the sound of the vowel as in ark.

hark
lark
mark
park
shark
spark
barn
yarn
art

cart
dart
mart
part
tart
chart
start
arm
farm

farmer
harm
alarm
charm
arch
march
carp
harp
sharp

barber
garden
harbor
harness
harvest
market
pardon
regard
sparkle

oi and oy make the oi sound as in oil.

soil
point
moist
toy
broil
voice
noise
coin
spoil
choice
boy
join
joint
hoist
joy
poison

enjoy
destroy
loyal
royalty

4. When the consonant r comes after the vowel o, it changes the sound of the vowel as
in for. The or sound is marked like this: crn.
Lord
fort
core
snore
torch
north
door
port
more
store
born
acorn
floor
short
sore
horse
corn
corner
fork
sport
tore
storm
horn
organ
stork
forty
score
porch
thorn
uniform
5. A vowel digraph has two vowels that make
sound of oo as in zoo.
broom
moose
soon
room
noodle
spoon
hoop
poodle
roost
loop
too
rooster
goose
moon
tool

one sound. The digraph oo makes the

pool
spool
stool
school
boot

zoo
shoot
roof
proof
booth

smooth
food
balloon
igloo
raccoon

loose

moon

fool

root

tooth

snooze

6. A vowel digraph has two vowels that make one sound. The digraph oo makes the
sound of oo as in look.
Words with the vowel digraph oo as in book; o, u, and ou can say oo:
book
brook
good
wool
wolf
bull
cook
crook
hood
woolen
wolves
full
hook
shook
stood
foot
put
pull
look
cookie
wood
soot
bush
could
nook
booklet
woody
unhook
push
would
took
brooklet
wooden
lookout
cushion
should
7. When the consonant r comes after the vowel e, it changes the sound of the vowel as
in herd. The er sound is a combination of the schwa () and r sounds.
Modified vowel er words:
herd
sister
circle
birthday
turkey
early
germ
cracker
circus
thirteen
purple
earn
term
hammer
bird
thirty
hurry
learn
fern
pitcher
third
fur
nurse
earth
eternal
rocker
girl
curb
purse
word
verse
water
firm
church
burst
work
serve
zipper
squirrel
injure
hurt
world
person
fir
dirt
sure
curtain
worm
father
sir
shirt
curl
turtle
worry
mother
stir
skirt
burn
heard
worship
brother
girafe
first
turn
pearl
worth

8. The vowel o makes diferent

of
moth
dog
belong
fog
strong
hog
wrong
log
ball
frog
call
smog
fall
boss
hall
toss
mall
cross
tall
cloth
wall

sounds and one of them is the sound of as in dg.

claw
draw
crawl
taught
small
straw
shawl
fault
stall
thaw
sprawl
ought
talk
dawn
faucet
brought
walk
fawn
awning
fought
stalk
lawn
awful
brought
salt
yawn
auto
thought
malt
brawn
because
autumn
law
drawn
caught
haughty
paw
hawk
daughter
laundry
saw
brawl
naughty
cough (f)

9. You have learned the sound of r as in arm. These letters also make the sound of
are as in square.
Modified re words:
bare
blare
fair
pear
cherry
aware
care
flare
hair
tear
their
barrel

dare
hare
rare
ware

share
carry
marry
air

pair
stair
chair
bear

wear
berry
ferry
merry

where
there
carrot
parrot

dairy
errand
error
square

10. The letter c usually has the sound of s when it is followed by the vowels e, i, or y.
This is called the soft sound of c. Likewise, the soft sound of the letter g makes the j
sound when it is followed by e, i, or y.
The soft sounds of the letters c and g:
ice
juice
glance
necklace
badge
hedge
dice
base
city
circle
large
pledge
lice
face
cymbals
circus
barge
engine
mice
lace
ounce
age
charge
girafe
nice
pace
bounce
cage
gem
hinge
rice
race
pounce
gage
ridge
danger
vice
brace
fence
page
bridge
giant
slice
place
pencil
rage
gum
orange
spice
space
prince
sage
gypsy
range
price
trace
lettuce
stage
Egypt
change
twice
chance
celery
wage
wedge
manger

11. A vowel digraph has two vowels that makes one sound. The digraph ea makes the
sound of e as in head.
Words with the vowel digraph ea which has the short
dead
dread
thread
meant
head
spread
deaf
weapons
lead
stead
breakfast
peasant
read
steady
health
pleasant
ready instead
wealth
pleasure
bread
tread
cleanser
sweat

vowel e sound:
threat
sweater
breath
weather
death
headache
feather
treasure
heather
measure
leather
meadow

________________________________________________

O ingls escrito tem 5 vogais A, E, I, O, U. A letra Y pode se comportar como uma vogal
(como na palavra cry ou candy) ou uma consoante (como em yellow). J no ingls

falado, essas 5 ou 6 letras representam aproximadamente 20 sons de vogais

encontrados nos diferentes sotaques ingleses. Esse fato importante ajuda a explicar
por que o entendimento algumas vezes difcil entre os falantes nativos e ainda muito
mais difcil para os aprendizes da lngua inglesa.
Essa regra facilita a pronncia correta das palavras que terminam com a letra e,
que, por sua vez, a letra mais comum na lngua inglesa. A letra e no fim de uma
palavra indica, frequentemente, uma pronncia especfica da vogal precedente, ou
seja, o e silencioso muda a pronncia da vogal precedente, como na diferena entre
rid /rd/ e ride /rad/. H poucas excees essa regra. Essa diferena
frequentemente descrita como short vowel (vogal curta) e long vowel (vogal longa),
apesar das diferenas serem mais no som do que na durao da pronncia. Essa
uma maneira de acentuarmos as vogais em ingls. Em portugus, por exemplo,
fazemos o uso de acentos, que mudam o som das vogais facilitando a pronncia das
palavras. Em ingls isso no acontece, pois no h acentuao, com exceo de
algumas palavras originrias de outras lnguas, como por exemplo, saut potatoes
(do francs saut).
Observe como o som das diferentes vogais mudam nas palavras descritas a seguir,
levando em conta palavras com similaridade na escrita, mas com significados
distintos, para melhor entendimento dessa regra:
Palavras com a vogal a. O som da vogal precedente a muda para ei quando a
palavra termina em e. Exemplos:

at ate
mad made

bath bathe

fat fate

Jack Jake

rap rape

tap tape

mat mate

can cane

dam dame

hat hate

past paste

Exceo: have /hv/

Palavras com a vogal a quando a palavra em ingls termina em re, o pronncia da

vogal precedente a muda para . Exemplos:

car care
bar bare

far fare

war ware

star stare

tar tare

Exceo: are /ar /

Palavras com a vogal i. O som da vogal precedente i muda para ai. Exemplos:

rid ride
win wine

pin pine

bit- bite

kit kite

fill file

sit site

rip ripe

spit spite

lick like

Excees: give /gIv/, live /lIv/

Palavras com a vogal o. O som da vogal precedente o muda para ou. Exemplos:

not note
rob robe

ton tone

top tope

roll role

dot dote

cot cote

mop mope

cop cope

Excees: done /dn/, love /lv/, none /nn/, gone /n/, some /sm/

Palavras com a vogal u. O som da vogal precedente u muda para i. Exemplos:

us use
cut cute

fuss fuse (s com o som de z em fuse)

plum plume

tub tube

luck Luke

duck Duke

hug huge

Excees: sure /shUr/, curve /krv/

Algumas palavras comuns so excees essa regra por razes histricas. No ingls
arcaico, por exemplo, give /v/), love (/lv/), eram escritas com f ao invs de v (/f/
mudou para /v/ quando estava entre duas vogais: give giefan, love lufu).
Note que o e silencioso no somente usado nas formas descritas acima, mas
tambm com verbos, onde h tambm pouqussimas excees. Nos verbos regulares
(que terminam em ed na forma do passado), o e em ed tambm no
pronunciado. Exemplos: talked, walked, kicked, played, stayed, opened, closed etc.
Muitos pronunciam erroneamente esses verbos acrescentando um som de e em ed
que no existe na pronncia correta do ingls.
Hora de praticar
E agora, voc leu tudo isso, entendeu como o cdigo escrito serve para indicar a
pronncia diferenciada, mas fica pensando, Como que eu vou internalizar tudo isso?
Como posso praticar para automatizar essa regra? Uma maneira construir frases
simples contendo um par de palavras, e praticar a pronncia em contexto. Por
exemplo:

at ate (He ate at the table.)

mad made (This mad world made him sad.)

bath bathe (I go to the bath to bathe.)

fat fate (His fate was to be fat because he ate too much.)

Jack Jake (Jack and Jake ate like mad.)

not note (We did not take note of his name.)

star stare (Ill stare at the sky just looking for a star.)

Luke Luck likes lakes.

Lukes duck likes lakes.
Luke Luck licks lakes.
Lucks duck licks lakes.
Duck takes licks in lakes Luke Luck likes.
Luke Luck takes licks in lakes duck likes.
***
Long Vowel Sound Rules
The long vowels make the same sounds in a word as they do when pronounced alone.
Each vowel has a few unique rules, but generally, they all make a long sound when
they are the last letter of a word (examples: she, go; exceptions: to, bite). And if a word
has two vowels next to each other, the first vowel usually is pronounced long
(examples: sail, bean, soap, juice).
1. "A"
o

If the "a" is followed by a "y," it makes the long vowel sound (examples:
play, Sunday). If the "a" is followed by one consonant, followed by an "e,"
it makes a long vowel sound (examples: fate, dare).

If the letter "e" is paired with another "e," it will make the long vowel
sound (examples: sweet, beef). If the "e" is followed by one consonant,
followed by another vowel, it makes a long vowel sound (example: evil,
deplete), but the "e" will not typically be long if there are two or more
consonants between the "e" and the other vowel (examples: end, elder,
enter).

"E"

If an "e" is the last letter of a word, it is usually silent, but it also

signifies that the vowels that came before have a long sound (examples:
note, pride, derive, state).
"I"
o

If the "i" in a single-syllable word is followed by two consonants, it will

usually have the long vowel sound (examples: bright, mind, child).
Exceptions are when single-syllable words are plural or contain a "th"
or "sh" at the end (examples: fifth, clips, fish, girth).
The "i" has a long vowel sound if the last letter in the word is an "e"
(examples: bite, mine, slide).

"O"
o

If the "o" in a single-syllable word is followed by two consonants, it will

have the long vowel sound (examples: old, most, roll). Exceptions are
when single-syllable words are plural or contain a "th" or "sh" at the

end (examples: moth, posh). The "o" has a long vowel sound if the last
letter in the word is an "e" (examples: mole, rope).
"U"
A "u" long sound doesn't sound exactly the same in a word as it does when
pronouncing the letter by itself. When pronouncing the letter by itself, it is "yoo" but as
a letter in a word it simply makes an "oo" sound (examples: costume, salute). The "u"
makes a long sound when it is followed by an "e" (examples: cue, blue, flute).