Sound

/i/

leak

keen

peat

beet

bee

/I/

lick

lit

kin

pit

bit

/ey/

lake

late

cane

bait

bay

/e/

let

Ken

pet

bet

“ae”

lack

can

pat

bet

baa

“ah”

lock

con

pot

bought

bah

“uh”

luck

putt

but

“oo”

look

put

/u/

Luke

lute

coon

boot

boo

“er”

lurk

Kern

pert

Bert

burr

/o/

cone

boat

Bo, bow

/ai/

like

kine

bite

by

/au/

lout

pout

bout

bough

/oi/

coin

boy

Some Generalizations (Not Rules) about English vowels and spelling

English vowels have “long” and “short” forms.

The long form is the “name” of the letter: The short form is as follows:

A E I O U

/ey/ /i/ /ai/ /o/ or /ou/ /u/ or /yu/

a e i o u

“ae” /e/ /I/ “ah” “uh”

Long vowels are usually (but not always) indicated by a second (silent) vowel in the same syllable:

sheep

bait

heat

loaf

like

mice

tune

peace

juice

hoe

leave

jay

slow

pony

(Sometimes “y” and “w” can function as a second vowel.)

Short vowels usually stand alone within a syllable and are often followed by “double” consonants:

ran

jet

cup

doll

kiss

tick

lamb

witch

fast

hint

punch

Note the difference:

hope hop

hoped hopped

hoping hopping

tiny/tinny

Notable exceptions:

head light read

give sign live

gone find lead

(sound is “short” despite silent second vowel) (sound is “long” despite no silent second vowel) (two pronunciations: long or short)