Remember Rules for Pronouncing Vowels

1.Before going through these rules with your students, they will
need to know the difference between short vowel
sounds and long vowel sounds. If you are unclear about
these definitions, look for an explanation in a standard
English only dictionary or read about it here.

2.1

A Vowel Followed by a Single Consonant at the End of a

Word Is Pronounced as a Short Vowel

Words that conform to this rule are often some of the

first that students of English (as well as native speakers)
learn to read. Pup has cup. Man has ham. All of these words
follow the short vowel + consonant rule. You might see these
words represented in this way. CVC.

3.2

A Vowel Followed by Two Consonants at the End of a

Word Is Pronounced as a Short Vowel
 Words that conform to this rule may be single vowels
followed by a consonant blend (see below for an
explanation of consonant blends) or those that are
followed by two distinct consonants. You may see these
types of words represented in this way. CVCC. Some
examples include the following: stops, want, hand, wish, and
bark.

4.3

If a Vowel Is the Final Letter in a Word, It Is Pronounced as a

Long Vowel

A vowel at the end of a word may appear in a single

syllable word or a multisyllabic word. Either way, the
pronunciation rule remains the same. A final vowel at the end
of a word is pronounced as a long vowel. Some examples of
single syllable words which follow this rule are go, pi, lo, be,
and he. Multiple syllable examples include ago and ego. You
might see these words represented like this CV.

5.4
 If an E Appears at the End of a Word, It Is Silent. The
Preceding Vowel (Separated from the E by One or More
Consonants) Will Be Pronounced as a Long Vowel

Silent e is one of the first spelling rules children learn in

school, and no wonder since it is so common in
English. If you are teaching phonics, you might have
students underline or cross out the silent e and mark the
preceding vowel as long. You might see words which follow
this rule represented in this way: CVCe. You can find
examples throughout the English language, but some of
them are hate, care, note, flute, bite, nice, and ape.

6.5

If Two Vowels Appear next to Each Other in One Syllable,

the Second Vowel Is Silent and the First Vowel Is
Pronounced as a Long Vowel

We see vowel combinations all the time in English. A

general rule as to their pronunciation is to say the first vowel
and ignore the second. These vowel combinations come in
all kinds of match ups. You might see words which follow this
rule represented this way: CVVC. English examples include
true, beat, train, leaf, and load.
 Consider Rules for Pronouncing Consonants
1.One thing to keep in mind when discussing consonant
pronunciation are consonant blends. A consonant blend is
two or more letters that are pronounced as one sound in
English. Some blends are clearly two sounds which become
one complex sound (for example bl in black, tr as in atrophy).
They often include the letters l, r, or s but not always. Other
blends are actually only one English sound which is spelled
by using two or more consonants. These sounds include sh
(wish), ch (chair), tch (watch) and others.

2.6

If One Consonant Follows a Vowel in the Middle of a Word,

It Is Pronounced as the First Sound in the Next Syllable

Where a consonant is pronounced in a word does make

a difference in a students pronunciation, particularly if
they speak slowly. Think about the difference between
pap-er and pa-per. Clearly the second is the correct
pronunciation while the first sounds, at best, strange, and at
worst like a different word entirely. Other examples include
tele-phone (not teleph-one), la-bor (not lab-or), lo-cate (not
loc-ate) and pro-tect (not prot-ect).
3.7

When Two Consonants Follow a Vowel in the Middle of a

Word, One Consonant Is Pronounced at the End of the First
Syllable and the Other Is Pronounced at the Beginning of the
Next Vowel

Of course, consonant blends act as one consonant

sound, but non-blend neighboring consonants will
follow this rule. When a consonant is doubled in the middle
of a word, it also follows this rule. Some examples include
sub-ject, tal-ly, ab-ject, top-ple, and haz-mat.