In English, the vowels are A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y. Consonants are all the other letters of the alphabet. Vowels are aspirated differently than consonants. A consonant is spoken and has more airflow than a vowel. A vowel is almost whispered because it requires less airflow. Vowels are sometimes referred to as open sounds because the airflow to make vowel sounds is unobstructed. Consonants have more of a closed sound or obstructed airflow when enunciating.
How do you know if a vowel is long? A vowel sound is long when it sounds like saying the letter of the vowel. For example in the word present, the first “e” is a long vowel sound. In this example, the word present is defined as the action of someone making a presentation.
What is an example of a short vowel? An example of a short vowel is when an individual can hear the sound of the vowel, and the vowel does not sound like a letter. For example, in the word “guitar” all of the vowels have short vowel sounds because none sound like the letter they represent, except for the “u” which is silent.
What does a short “i” vowel sound like? A short “i” vowel sound sounds like “eeh,” for example in the word lip. Another example of a short “i” vowel sound is how the “i” sounds in sip.
In this worksheet, students will identify long and short vowels and match them.
Answer Key
