Short vowels are quick, relaxed sounds. They do not say the letter name.

Phonetic Sound Example Normal alphabet Word
/æ/ cat a
/e/ bed e
/ɪ/ sit i
/ɒ/ hot o
/ʌ/ cup u

Practice:
cat – bed – sit – hot – cup

Long Vowel Sounds

Long vowels are stretched sounds. They often sound like the name of the vowel letter.

Phonetic Sound Example Normal Alphabet Word
/eɪ/ cake a
/iː/ see e
/aɪ/ time i
/oʊ/ go o
/uː/ food u

Practice:
cake – see – time – go – food

Key Differences

  • Short vowels → quick sounds (cat)

  • Long vowels → long sounds (cake)

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