Vowel Sounds

What are vowels?

Vowels are the letters in the alphabet that are not consonants.

For example, in the word “cage,” “a” and “e” are vowels, while “c” and “g” are consonants.

Vowels are sounds you make without blocking the airflow with your mouth. Vowel sounds flow freely through your mouth. You might open your mouth wide to make an “ah” sound like in “father,” or round your lips for an “oo” sound like in “boot.

List of Vowels

There are 5 vowels in the English alphabet.

Aa	Ee	Ii
Oo	Uu

What sounds do vowels make?

Vowels can make different sounds depending on the word they are in or the letters around them. For example, the letter “a” in “cat” sounds different from the “a” in “cake.”

Letter: a

ant, apple, axe, pan, man

Letter: o

owl, hot, son, pot, on

Letter: e

egg, be, pen, ten, eagle

Letter: u

up, cup, hut, fun, umbrella

Letter: i

ice, igloo, pin, sit, lick

Types of Vowel Sounds

Vowels	Short Vowel Sounds		Long Vowel Sounds
Vowels	*Examples*	*Vowel Sound*	*Examples*	*Vowel Sound*
a	cat hat man	The “a” sound that pops out fast	cake name play	Hold the “a” sound a bit longer
e	bed hen shell	A quick “e” sound	see bee green	Stretch out the “e” sound
i	pig tin ship	A short “i” sound	bike fine ride	Hold the “i” sound for a bit
o	dog hog box	A fast “o” sound	coat boat home	Lengthen the “o” sound
u	bus cup sun	A quick “u” sound	cube tube juice	Hold the “u” sound a little longer

Vowels	Short Vowel Sounds
Vowels	*Examples*	*Vowel Sound*
a	cat hat man	The “a” sound that pops out fast
e	bed hen shell	A quick “e” sound
i	pig tin ship	A short “i” sound
o	dog hog box	A fast “o” sound
u	bus cup sun	A quick “u” sound

Vowels	Long Vowel Sounds
Vowels	*Examples*	*Vowel Sound*
a	cake name play	Hold the “a” sound a bit longer
e	see bee green	Stretch out the “e” sound
i	bike fine ride	Hold the “i” sound for a bit
o	coat boat home	Lengthen the “o” sound
u	cube tube juice	Hold the “u” sound a little longer

Bubble Burst

Melody Match

Penguin Puzzle