1. LONG A - AHD Symbol /a-/
Common Spellings: a, ay, eigh, ai, a + consonant + e, ea
day / hay / weigh / Ray / may / Kay
gay / lay / make / date / hate / wait
rate / mate / Kate / gate / late / dame
haste / waste / raid / made / cape / game
lane / delay / repay / radio / taper / escapade
major / grenade
1. This is my roommate, Ray.
2. Jake and Kate brought a great cake.
3. I hate to wait for the news.
4. Let's not delay the game by changing the date.
5. Don't you just hate to pay your taxes?
2. LONG E - AHD Symbol /e-/
Common Spellings: e, ee, ea, e + consonant + e, -y
he / three / be / we / she / tree
knee / gee / see / Lee / Dee / fee
key / pea / tea / agree / keep / heat
seat / seek / leap / meek / weak / bead
read / deep / sweep / repeat/ deplete / concede
sweet
1. Here, take this seat.
2. I think we all agree that that tree needs to be trimmed.
3. When does he go out to sea?
4. How can you leap to such sweeping conclusions?
5. This heat is depleting my energy.
3. LONG I - AHD Symbol /i-/
Common Spellings: i, ie, y, igh, i + consonant + e
hi / bye / tie / die / my / sigh
try / lie / eye / rye / guy / why
type / write / like / pipe / white / wipe
Mike / excite / ignite / light / wide / survive
night / time / wine / fine / line / prescribe
bind / nine / align / I'm / mime / blind
lime / pine / dine / rhyme
1. What time do you dine?
2. Try to write like this.
3. I'm fine right now.
4. Where did you buy that beautiful tie?
5. That was quite an exciting ride!
4. LONG O - AHD Symbol /o-/
Common Spellings: o, ow, oe, ough, o +consonant + e
hoe / row / bow / low / so / go
Joe / know / toe / low / foe / mow
oh / Poe / stow / woe / dough / slow
Pope / rope / goad / load / road / wrote
vote / note / slope / don't / elope / note
joke / soak / roam / cone / phone / tone
grown
1. Edgar Allan Poe wrote many short stories.
2. Do you know where the note was stowed?
3. Leave a message after the tone and I'll phone you back.
4. You aimed your bow a little too low.
5. What kind of jokes do you know?
5. LONG OO - AHD Symbol /oo-/
Common Spellings: oo, u, ough, ue, ew, u + consonant + e
blue / too / through / who / woo / sue
drew / zoo / glue / review / you / construe
pursue / debut / Magoo / few / shoe / boo
tube / feud / exude / moon / June / soon
typhoon / balloon / resume / exhume / buffoon / cartoon
rude / reduce / new duke / rude / conclude
Luke / kook / excuse / tube / tune
UNDERSTAND Long OO and Long U
Long U - AHD /yoo-/
few / pew / ewe / excuse / perfume / huge
refuge / cute / beauty
1. Don't be too rude to Drew.
2. What can you deduce from the review of your play?
3. A few of us want to walk through the zoo.
4. June uses too much perfume.
5. How much fruit does that animal consume?
6. long U - AHD Symbol /yoo/
few / pew / ewe / excuse / perfume / huge /
refuge / cute / beauty
Don't be too rude to Drew.
What can you deduce from the review of your play?
A few of us want to walk through the zoo.
June uses too much perfume.
How much fruit does that animal consume?
UNDERSTAND Long U and Long OO
LONG OO - AHD Symbol /oo-/
Common Spellings: oo, u, ough, ue, ew, u + consonant + e
blue / too / through / who / woo / sue /
drew / zoo / glue / review / you / construe
pursue / debut / Magoo / few / shoe / boo
tube / feud / exude / moon / June / soon
typhoon / balloon / resume / exhume / buffoon / cartoon
rude / reduce / new duke / rude / conclude
Luke / kook / excuse / tube / tune
7. The OU Sound - AHD Symbol /ou/
Common Spellings: ow, ou
ow / how / wow / sow / cow / bow
now / chow / pow / row / vow / loud
route / about / shout / doubt / rowdy / dowdy
slouch / crouch / couch / powder / flowers / shower
dour / town / clown / round / gown / brown
down / mound /drown / found / wound / noun
pound / sound
1. How many pounds of ground round do you want?
2. If you take this route, you'll arrive in about an hour.
3. Do you doubt that I found out about my surprise shower?
4. We wound round and round until we found the town.
5. How many nouns have you found in this sentence?
8. The OI Sound - AHD Symbol /oi/
Common Spellings: oy, oi, eu
boy / coy / toy / Roy / soy / joy
koi / enjoy / employ / cloy / doily / annoy
poi / rejoice / voice / Boyd / Lloyd / avoid
voyage / Freud / loiter / join / joint / ointment
coin / choice / oyster / poison / cloister / void
moist / loyal / royal / flamboyant
1. Try some ointment on your joints.
2. That boy has too many toys.
3. I heard Freud's voice in my dream.
4. We made our choice by flipping a coin.
5. Please void this check.
9. SHORT A - AHD Symbol /ă/
Common Spelling a (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)
cat / bag / sag / lap / wrap / man
last / fast / gas / track / pack / sandwich
Mac / half / have / has / apple / magazine
attitude / candid / tragedy / handy / cavity / habit
trash / laboratory / procrastinate
1. Wrap your trash in a bag.
2. I'll just sit on the grass with my magazine, my sandwich, and my apple.
3. What kind of an attitude is that?
4. The black cat is happy in my lap.
5. Sarah said I had bags sagging under my eyes.
10. SHORT E - AHD Symbol /e(/
Common Spellings : e, ea (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)
bled / Deb / dead
debt / dread / den / fed / fled / head
jet / led / let / leapt / met / men
test / red / neck /rest / rev / said
Ted / invest / connect / address / suspect / west
wet / when / dress / stress / extend / regular
request / excellent
1. Ted cleared his debt with an investment.
2. This address will give you the connection you need.
3. Just let me rest my neck on the bed for a minute.
4. When did you request an extension on your deadline?
5. This red dress is all wet.
11. SHORT I - AHD Symbol /i(/
Common Spellings: i, y (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)
is / it / in / wrist / kiss / fit
sip / swim / dim /gym / fix / hid
kid / pin / lip / lick / slip / wish
Dick / pick / sick / tip / list / Rick
history / continue / Mickey / resist / exit / Nicholas
consist / exist / trick / fish / switch /busy
triple / been
1. Do you wish to exit the theater?
2. I tried to slip this bracelet over my wrist, but it doesn't fit.
3. I wish to be picked up at six.
4. The list is hidden in a closet.
5. I've been busy.
12. SHORT O - AHD Symbol /o(/
Common Spelling o, a (always followed by consonants)
hop / stop / rob / job / Tom / sob
lock / rock / cop / John / Ron / palm
shop / lingerie / astonish / Connie / honest
operate / not / possible / stock / bottle / blond
1. Rob and Tom were stopped by a cop.
2. Connie sobbed and locked the door.
3. Is it possible you forgot to lock the shop when it got robbed?
4. Don got a job in a shop.
5. Stay calm and stop rocking the boat.
13. SHORT U - AHD Symbol /u(/
Common spellings: u, o (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)
hut / but / bud / flood / cuddle / supper
pun / bun / ton / honey / come / son
fun / run / love / money / funny / jump
lump / summer / lovely / sudden / dumb / wonderful
pump / hug / bug / double
1. You look funny when you jump.
2. We won a ton of money.
3. Her son will come for supper.
4. This has been a wonderful summer.
5. The sun suddenly came flooding in.
UNDERSTAND Short U and Schwa Sound
Schwa Sound - AHD Symbol /&/
Common spellings: a, e , i, o, u
Note that almost any vowel in an unstressed syllable can be reduced to sound like the schwa sound. This vowel sound is only found in words or phrases with more than one syllable.
about / another / alone
alive / adjust / accumulate
possible / accomplish / animal
beautiful / investigate / constant
personal / residual / residence
photograph / photographer / Los Angeles
Santa Barbara / reliance / support / homocide
1. Is it possible to accomplish all that you want?
2. He's a well known photographer in Los Angeles.
3. The officers are investigating a possible homicide.
4. Who do you rely on for support?
5. I'd like to ask your advice on a matter of personal concern.
How did you accumulate so much insignificant junk?
14. SHORT OO - AHD Symbol /oo(/
Common Spellings : oo, ou, u (always followed by a consonant in a stressed syllable)
could / should / would / good / foot / look
put / took / soot / hood / push / woman
cook / nook / book / hook / shook / bush
brook / crook / cushy
1. Here's a book on healthful cooking.
2. Is this a very good neighborhood?
3. Doctor, could you look at my foot, please.
4. Would you give me a push?
5. Take a look at the woman in the red hood!
15. Schwa Sound - AHD Symbol /&/
Common spellings: a, e, i, o, u
Note that almost any vowel in an unstressed syllable can be reduced to sound like the schwa sound. This vowel sound is only found in words or phrases with more than one syllable.
about / another / alone
alive / adjust / accumulate
possible / accomplish / animal
beautiful / investigate / constant
personal / residual / residence
photograph / photographer / Los Angeles
Santa Barbara / reliance / support / homocide
1. Is it possible to accomplish all that you want?
2. He's a well known photographer in Los Angeles.
3. The officers are investigating a possible homicide.
4. Who do you rely on for support?
5. I'd like to ask your advice on a matter of personal concern.
6. How did you accumulate so much insignificant junk?
UNDERSTAND Short U and Schwa Sound
Short U - AHD Symbol /u(/
Common spellings: u, o
hut / but / bud / flood / cuddle / supper
pun / bun / ton / honey / come / son
fun / run / love / money / funny / jump
lump / summer / lovely / sudden / dumb / wonderful
pump / hug / bug / double
1. You look funny when you jump.
2. We won a ton of money.
3. Her son will come for supper.
4. This has been a wonderful summer.
5. The sun suddenly came flooding in.
16. COMPARE Long E and Short I
sheep / ship
deep / dip
read / rid
heat / hit
peat / pit
seek / sick
1. Why do you like to sit in this seat?
2. These shoes fit my feet.
3. At least make a list.
4. Don’t get rid of all the books I like to read.
5. We got hit real hard by the heat.
17. COMPARE Long A and Short E
raid / red
laid / led
wade / wed
bait / bet
mate / met
trade / tread
1. They led us to where the eggs had been laid.
2. Jed bought some beautiful jade.
3. Don’t let me be late.
4. Get the back gate.
5. Fred said his nerves were frayed.
18. Compare Long O and Short O
road / rod
hope / hop
soak / sock
coat / cot
toad / Todd
slope / slop
cloak / clock
code / cod
1. We always rode through town in a hot rod.
2. Todd found a toad.
3. My socks were soaked after the downpour.
4. Don’t throw your coat on the cot.
5. What’s the area code for Cape Cod?
19. Compare Long OO and Short U
soon / sun
tune / ton
super / supper
boon / bun
shoot / shut
coop / cup
mood / mud
boot / but
1. Soon the sun will set again.
2. There are a lot of roots in the rut.
3. They played a ton of tunes on the radio yesterday.
4. But where are your boots?
5. That was a super supper.
20. Compare Short Vowel Sounds
Compare Short I and Short E
