Sounds
Long and Short Vowels for Class 1 English
A proper understanding of vowels plays a very important role in kids’ learning. In this learning concept, students will get to learn vowel phonic sounds for long and short vowels that will help to improve their pronunciation.
In this learning concept, the students will learn about:
- Identify the long vowel sounds and short vowel sounds.
- The difference between long and short vowel sound
- The words with two vowels together.
Each concept is elaborated to class 1 English students using definitions, examples, illustrations, common mistakes,
and concept maps. Once you go through the concept, check your learning by solving the two printable worksheets given
at the end of the page.
Download the long and short vowel worksheets and check your answers with the worksheet solutions provided in PDF
format.
What are the Vowels in English?
- A vowel is a letter of the alphabet that illustrates an open sound. A letter that produces sound by allowing the breath to come out of the mouth without any interference.
- Vowels are five vowels in the English Alphabet. They are a, e, i, o, and u.
A vowel has more than one sound. Vowels can be divided into two parts based on their sounds – a) Long vowel sound and b) Short vowel sound.
a)What is a Long Vowel Sound?
When a vowel is said, sometimes the sound it makes is that of a long vowel sound.
There are two ways when long vowel sounds are used.
i. A long vowel sound is made when two vowels sit next to each other in a word.
Examples:
1. When ‘e’ and ‘a’ sit together, it makes a long /e/ sound.
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| head | bread | beach |
2. When ‘i’ and ‘e’ appear next to each other it makes a long /i/ sound.
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| pie | tie | lie |
3. If we put together ‘a’ and ‘i’, the word makes a long /a/ sound.
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| jail | rail |
3. If two ‘o’s sit together, it makes a long /u/ sound.
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| moon | zoo | pool |
5. When two ‘e’s sit together in a word, it makes a long /e/ sound..
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| green | knee | cheese |
6. When ‘o’ and ‘a’ sit together, a word makes a long /o/ sound .
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| boat | goat | toad |
What is a Short Vowel Sound?
Some vowels make a short sound as these sounds are not stretched.
The short vowels always come at the beginning or middle of the word. It never is at the end of a word.
Examples:
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| tap | web | pin |
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| top | mug |
The vowels in the words say their sounds - /a/, /e/, /i/, /o/, /u/. Therefore, these words are making short vowel sounds.
Look at the long and short vowel sounds list to have better understanding:
Common mistake
i. Some vowels may still make long vowel sounds when used by itself. One such letter is ‘u’ which also produces long vowel sounds.
Examples:
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| huge | plate | bike |
The vowel ‘u’ in ‘huge’ makes a long /u/ sound.
The vowel ‘a’ in ‘plate’ makes a long /a/ sound.
The vowel ‘i’ in ‘bike’ makes a long /i/ sound.
2. Don’t get confused between the short ‘i’ vowel sound and the long ‘e’ vowel sound.
Example:
| Short 'i' | Long 'e' |
|---|---|
| igloo | eel |
| fin | key |
| pin | tea |
| iguana | eagle |
