pronunciation rules

Vowel Pronunciation Rules

General Rules for Vowels

1. One vowel, not at the end of the word

As in: Cat; Bed; Pill; Dog; Sun

• one vowel in a word• the vowel isn’t at the end

It usually has a short sound.

2. One vowel at the end of a word

As in: She; Go; ; Hi; He

• only one vowel• it comes at the end of the word

It usually has a long sound.

3. Two vowels in a word, last vowel is ‘e’

As in: Bake; Line; Woke; Mute

• there are two or more vowels • the word ends with the vowel 'E',

Two things happen. The ending vowel 'E' is silent, and the vowel that comes before it has a long sound.

4. Two different vowels together in a word

As in: Rain; Seal; Tied; Cheat

• two vowel letters are together

The first vowel letter has a long sound and the second vowel letter is silent.

5. One vowel followed by a double consonant (the same letter)

As in: Dinner; Summer; Pull, Simmer

• a vowel followed by two of the same consonants in a row (called a double consonant)

A short sound is used for the vowel.

6. Double vowels (same)

As in: Week; Vacuum; Refugee; Wheel;

• two of the same vowels in a row (called a double vowel),

pronounce them as one vowel, using the long sound.

*This rule does not apply when 'O' is the double vowel

7. Double ‘o’ vowel

As in: Foot; Book; Stood; Loophole

There are 3 different pronunciation options.1) Blood / Flood2) Book3) Food.

EXCEPTIONS TO THE RULES

-IGH (long I) as in: high, sight, fight, thigh

-NG (varies with each vowel) as in: Sing, Ring Song/Long Sung/Lung

-OST as in "most” “Host” (but not "lost" or "cost") uses the long sound instead of the normal short sound.

-OW has two different sounds as in "low" and "cow." (or, ”row" (a boat) and ”row.” (to have an arguement)

-ED has three different sounds as in "lifted," "played," and "walked"

-OI does not follow the two vowels rule, as in: Moist, Boil, Coin

-OUS (short u sound) as in: Nervous, Adventurous, Furious, Contagious

- AU (makes an “aw” sound) as in: Fault, Cause, Sauce, Laundry

-SION, -TION, and -CION are all pronounced "shun.” as in: Tension, Action, Suspicion

-OUGH has at least seven different sounds, as in "bough," "cough," "hough," "tough," "thorough," "thought," and "through."

Practice with Minimal Pairs

/I/ (short i) /i:/ (long e)

Chick Cheek

Chit (Chat) Cheat

Dill Deal

Gin Genes (dna)

Grid Greedy

Hip Heap

Knit Neat

Lick Leak

(window) Sill Seal

Sin Scene

Still Steel

Till Teal

Tin Teen

/e/ (short e) /ei/ (long a)

Wet Wait

Best Based

Fell Fail

Let Late

Men Main

Pen Pain

Pen Paint

Rest Raced

Sell Sale

Special Spatial

Test Taste

West Waist

(short a) /e/ (short e)

Band Bend

Bat Bet

Dad Dead

Gas Guess

Gas Guest

Land Lend

Mat Met

Marry Merry

Shall Shell

Ax Ex

Cattle Kettle

Vat Vet

/æ/

(short o) (long o)

Dot Dote

Mop Mope

Odd Ode

Rot wrote

Got Goat

Hop Hope

Cost Coast

Not Note

On Own

Sock Soak

/ɒ/ /əʊ/ .

Vowel Pronunciation Quiz

Which of the following words does not sound like the others

a) Peak

b) Been

c) Peek

d) Bean


a) Peak

b) Been

c) Peek

d) Bean

Sounds like “Bin”


a) Bin

b) Bids

c) Bend

d) Bind


a) Bin

b) Bids

c) Bend

d) Bind Sounds like “kind”

Which of the following words does not sound like the othersWhich of the following words does not sound like the others

a) Car

b) Barn

c) Pack

d) Party

Which of the following words does not sound like the othersWhich of the following words does not sound like the others

a) Car

b) Barn

c) Pack Sounds like “sack”

d) Party

Which of the following words has the same sound as:

MADE

a) Was

b) Day

c) Ran

d) Toy


TIN

a) Tail

b) Vine

c) Ship

d) Bird


CUP

a) Tough

b) Launch

b) Put

c) Lost


TIE

a) Think

b) Shrimp

b) May

c) Right


NOW

a) Knot

b) Mouse

c) Boy

b) Note


COME

a) Boost

b) Loud

c) Put

b) Fun


GO

a) Shop

b) Soap

c) Song

d) Sun


SWAM

a) Stand

b) Rain

c) Same

d) Reach


BOOK

a) Luck

b) Caught

c) Loop

d) Could


LEND

a) Tea

b) Guess

c) Few

d) Near


GOOD

a) Foot

b) Mood

c) Lucky

d) Would

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