Long vowel words list
Printable list of long vowel words · 3 pages
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A long vowel says its own name: a in cake, e in tree, i in bike, o in boat, u in cube. Each long vowel can be spelled several ways, and that's what makes them harder than short vowels. Long a, for example, is a_e in cake, ai in rain and ay in play.
This list groups more than 200 long vowel words by spelling pattern: silent e (a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e) and the vowel teams ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow and igh. Seeing the spellings side by side shows your child that one sound can be written different ways, and gives you a ready list for sorting by sound.
Most programs teach silent e first, then vowel teams. If your child is still shaky with short vowels, practice those first; long vowels build on them.
Tips for using it
- Sort the words by sound (all the long a words together), then talk about which spelling shows up where.
- Try short and long pairs out loud: hop/hope, met/meet, cot/coat.
Variations
All word lists for kidsQuestions
What are long vowel sounds?
Long vowel sounds are the vowels saying their names: /ā/ as in cake, /ē/ as in see, /ī/ as in kite, /ō/ as in home and /ū/ as in cute.
What's the difference between long and short vowels?
Short vowels are the quick sounds in cat, bed, sit, hot and bug. Long vowels say the letter's name. Spelling usually signals which one to read: a silent e or a vowel team often means long.