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)