The Long Vowel Rule (1)
Long Vowel Rule (1): When a word has two vowel, usually the first vowel says its name and
thesecond vowel is silent.
1. Long vowel /a/ words
mail gain bake ape Paint gray
nail main cake tape Day play
pail pain lake ate Hay pray
rail rain make hate Lay stay
sail train rake late May stray
tail mane take date Pay tray
came vane pale gate Say fade
game wave sale bait Way made
name save whale wait Clay grade
2. Long vowel /e/ words
sea seal fear beef Wheat sheep
tea beam hear meek Seem sleep
reach team near seek Seen deer
teach bean bee feel Teen feet
beak mean tree heal Green meet
weak heap free peel Deep beet
heal leap feed hear Peep greet
meal ear need meat Weep key
real dear weed seat Creep three
3. Long vowel /i/ words
hide bike dime vine Pie dive
ride like lime wipe Tie five
side hike time pipe Fire hive
tide file chime ripe Hire cry
wide mile dine rise Tire dry
bride pile fine wise Wire fly
glide tile line size Bite fry
pride smile mine prize Kite try
slide while pine die White sky
4. Long vowel /o/ words
road coat hole rope Stove grow
load goat pole nose Bow know
toad hoe stole rose Low show
oak toe home close Mow slow
soak rode bone chose Row snow
foam joke cone hose Tow throw
roam poke tone note Blow boast
soap spoke stone vote Crow roast
boat smoke hope dove Flow toast
5. Long vowel /u/ words
suite June true new Chew flew
fruit tune use pew Drew slew
juice prune fuse crew Grew stew
cute blue dew knew Screw mew
flute clue few mule Threw cube
dune glue hew rule Blew tube
The Long Vowel Rule (2)
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 yo-yo Exceptions:
me by go no Be do
she my so so Hi to
The Long Vowel Rule (3)
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 2
child mind light old Colt most
bind blind night cold Colt post
find grind right fold Jolt roll
hind high bright hold Volt toll
kind fight flight told Both stroll
Common Examples Of Short And Long Vowels
These contrasts demonstrate the rules (in each column, first short, then long):
A: short A: long A: short A: long
back bake
snack snake can cane
fad fade plan plain/plane
mad made/maid tap tape
Sam same at ate
E: short E: long cat Kate
bed bead E: short E: long
Ben bean bet beat/beet
men mean met mete/meat/meet
ten teen pet Pete
I: short I: long set seat
lick like I: short I: long
hid hide fin fine
slid slide shin shine
dim dime bit bite
Tim time lit light/lite
sit sight/site
