embracing-motherhood.com

Long Vowels • Long a—apron, cake, paint, play, reindeer

• Long e—me, bean, bee, Pete, happy

• Long i—spider, ice cream, tie, cry, light

• Long o—oval, bone, boat, toe, boat

• Long u—unicorn, cube, argue, you, view

Long a Rule: The a says its name.

Rule: Long vowels say

their names.

Long Vowels

Common Ways to Make Long a

*Other Ways:

• they

• straight

• weigh

• break

• gauge

• croquet

Long a a = /a/

Other words that follow this rule:

able angel acorn

baby alien aphid

Rule: The letter a by itself

can make the long a sound.

Long a a = /a/

Long a a_e = /a/

Long a a_e = /a/

Other words that follow this rule:

bake make lake

game brave skate

Rule: The silent e at the end of a

word makes the short vowel long.

Long a ai = /a/

Other words that follow this rule:

aim mail fail

chain remain explain

Vowel Digraph: When two vowels go out

walking, the first one does the talking.

Long a ai = /a/

Long a ay = /a/

Long a ay = /a/

Other words that follow this rule:

day pay stay

relay display essay

Vowel Digraph: The letters ay at the end

of a word can make the long a sound.

Long a ei = /a/

Other words that follow this rule:

vein veil weigh

eight reign beige

Vowel Digraph: : The letters ei

can make the long a sound. Long e Rule: The e says its name.

Long a ei = /a/

Common Ways to Make Long e

*Other Ways:

• key

• ski

• shield

• receive

• People

• phoenix

Long e e = /e/

Other words that follow this rule:

we be he

even eleven evil

Rule: The letter e by itself can

make the long e sound.

Long e e = /e/

Long e ea = /e/

Long e ea = /e/

Other words that follow this rule:

leaf team beak

clean please stream

Vowel Digraph: When two vowels go out

walking, the first one does the talking.

Long e ee = /e/

Other words that follow this rule:

free seed peel

speech screen coffee

Vowel Digraph: : When two vowels go

out walking, the first one does the talking.

Long e ee = /e/

Long e e_e = /e/

Long e y = /e/

Other words that follow this rule:

angry baby sorry

family twenty empty

Rule: The letter y at the end of a

word can make the long e sound. Long i Rule: The i says its name.

Long e e_e = /e/

Other words that follow this rule:

athlete these gene

delete theme obsolete

Rule: The silent e at the end of a

word makes the short vowel long.

Long e y = /e/

Long i i = /i/

Other words that follow this rule:

item ivy idea

kind mind rewind

Rule: The letter i by itself can

make the long i sound.

Common Ways to Make Long i

*Other Ways:

• buy

• rye

• aisle

• height

Long i i = /i/

Long i i_e = /i/

Long i ie= /i/

Other words that follow this rule:

pie die lie

cries spies fries

Vowel Digraph: The letters ie

can make the long i sound.

Long i i_e = /i/

Other words that follow this rule:

nice hide dice

mice twice slice

Rule: The silent e at the end of a

word makes the short vowel long.

Long i ie= /i/

Long i y = /i/

Long i igh = /i/

Other words that follow this rule:

night fight sight

might knight bright

Rule: The letters igh can

make the long i sound. Long o Rule: The o says its name.

Long i y = /i/

Other words that follow this rule:

fly my sky

by reply supply

Rule: The letter y at the end of a word or

syllable can make the long i sound.

Long i igh = /i/

Long o o = /o/

Other words that follow this rule:

so hippo radio

taco yoga tomato

Rule: The letter o by itself can

make the long o sound.

Common Ways to Make Long o

*Other Ways:

• sew

• though

• brooch

Long o o = /o/

Long o o_e = /o/

Long o oa = /o/

Other words that follow this rule:

moat soap coat

float goat throat

Vowel Digraph: When two vowels go out

walking, the first one does the talking.

Long o o_e = /o/

Other words that follow this rule:

rose joke stove

globe stone robe

Rule: The silent e at the end of the

word makes the short vowel long.

Long o oa = /o/

Long o oe = /o/

Long o ow = /o/

Other words that follow this rule:

row mow tow

blow snow grow

Rule: The letters ow can

make the long o sound. Long u Rule: The u says its name.

Long o oe = /o/

Other words that follow this rule:

foe doe hoe

oboe woe floe

Vowel Digraph: The letters oe

can make the long o sound.

Long o ow = /o/

Long u u = /u/

Other words that follow this rule:

cupid uniform music

unit student human

Rule: The letter u by itself can

make the long u sound.

Common Ways to Make Long u

*Other Ways:

• beauty

• feud

• few

Long u u = /u/

Long u u_e = /u/

Long u ue = /u/

Other words that follow this rule:

glue due sue

rescue tissue value

Vowel Digraph: When two vowels go out

walking, the first one does the talking.

Long u u_e = /u/

Other words that follow this rule:

rude huge tune

use cute flute

Rule: The silent e at the end of a

word makes the short vowel long.

Long u ue = /u/

Long u ou = /u/

Long u iew = /u/

Other words that follow this rule:

review interview

Rule: The letters iew can

make the long u sound.

Long u ou = /u/

Other words that follow this rule:

None!

Rule: The letters you can

make the long u sound.

Directions for Using These Flashcards

• Cut out, round corners, laminate, hole punch in top two

corners, and attach 1 inch rings.

• Do not add the rules flashcards until children are familiar

with the meaning of the words. (Rules can go before or

after the matching word. Look at the spelling pattern in the

top right corner to see which flashcards are matching.)

• When introducing the rules, point out the spelling pattern

when children are interested. Do not force it!

• After children are familiar with the spelling pattern, start

pointing out other words that follow each rule.

Long u iew = /u/