Learn all about long i and the six ways to spell the long i vowel sound: i, i-e, igh, y, y-e, and ie. You will also snag your own free printable list with 173 words with long i vowel sounds!
All About Long i
Just as with all long vowels, the long vowel sound is the same as the letter name.
- Long a says /ā/ like acorn.
- Long e says /ē/ like equal.
- Long i says /ī/ like ice.
- Long o says /ō/ like ocean.
- Long u says /yoo/ like unicorn, OR /oo/ like ruler.
I usually teach my students a little jingle to remember the sound long vowels make. We pound on the table and chant, “Long vowels say their names.” My students really respond positively to this, and it helps them to remember the sounds of long vowels!
Long i can be spelled 6 different ways: i, i-e, igh, y, y-e, and ie. All of these spelling patterns can result in the long i vowel sound. Examples include:
- i like lion.
- i-e like bike.
- igh like light.
- y like fly.
- y_e like type.
- ie like pie.
👉 Scroll to the bottom to download our free, comprehensive long i word list PDF!
i – Open Syllable Words & Wild/Old Words
The letter i by itself will say its long sound when it is the last letter in a syllable. This is called an open syllable. Think about words like hi, li/on, and pi/lot. Since the syllables end in the single letter i, the vowel will make its long i sound.
👉 Exceptions: We also hear the long i sound in many common, but irregular closed syllable words that break the rules.
These ‘exceptions to the rule’ are one-syllable words that end in -ild, -ilt, -ind, and -ist. These are sometimes referred to as Wild, Old Words.
Words with open syllable and wild or old words with long i sound:
| lion | kind | climb | hi | quiet | silent |
| I | find | blind | idea | science | bicycle |
| I’m | mind | mild | Friday | iron | Simon |
| I’ll | child | pilot | behind | giant | spider |
| I’ve | wild | item | finally | library | final |
| I’d | sign | trial | decide | China | tricycle |
i-e (Long i with Silent E)
This pattern follows a VCe pattern and results in the letter i saying its name.
Use the sight word ‘like’ to teach this spelling pattern. Write it on the board and ask your students to read it. Because this word is usually one of the first sight words children learn, they should know it automatically.)
Follow this general script:
- Teacher: Tap the sounds you hear in the word like. How many sounds do you hear?
- Students: /l/ /ī/ /k/ = 3 sounds.
- Teacher: But we see four letters! When we see i-consonant-e pattern in words, the i will say its long sound. That’s why ‘like’ has a long vowel sound in the middle. Without the letter e at the end, it would say ‘lick.’ Now imagine you raised your hand in class and said “I like my dog.” That magic e at the end is so important because, without it, my sentence would say “I lick my dog.” (Kids always get a hoot out of using this example in a sentence.)
Words with long i with silent e with long i sound:
| bike | smile | bride | exercise | alive | likely |
| time | ride | five | sometime | arrive | provide |
| file | mine | lime | inside | describe | excitement |
| side | kite | slide | outside | combine | aside |
| like | hide | slime | surprise | realize | organize |
| pipe | bite | write | decide | alike | despite |
igh – Vowel Team
Refer to this spelling pattern as “igh – 3 letter i.” It’s a three-letter vowel team. This phonogram is totally irregular and cannot be sounded out.
We learned from The ABC’s and All Their Tricks that this spelling is actually a remnant of Old English and Old German, which is why it looks so strange to us!
Words with vowel team igh with long I sound:
| light | fight | knight | flashlight | highest | moonlight |
| right | sight | fright | higher | lightning | upright |
| might | tight | Dwight | tonight | mighty | eyesight |
| night | sigh | twilight | fighting | highway | sightsee |
| high | slight | tighter | frighten | midnight | skylight |
| bright | flight | fortnight | sunlight | delight | tighten |
y – Vowel
Remember told old saying: “A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y.” Well, let’s teach our students the rules for when the letter y actually is considered a vowel. They can know for sure when that “sometimes” really occurs.
👉 Y is considered a vowel when it comes at the end of a syllable or word.
👉 When Y is at the end of a root word, it makes the long i sound.
Multisyllabic words where the vowel y makes the long I sound:
| fly | dry | dying | drying | deny | nylon |
| by | myself | shy | satisfy | multiply | occupy |
| my | cry | reply | hydrogen | magnify | cyclone |
| why | sly | spy | butterfly | neaby | modify |
| try | lying | thy | classify | Wyoming | recycle |
| sky | July | defy | apply | cyclops | tyrant |
y-e (Long Y with Silent E)
When y is in the middle of a word, it is also considered a vowel.
When a syllable follows a y-consonant-silent e pattern, the y makes the long i sound. Many of these words come from Greek, and the y makes the sound of i.
| type | lyme | Bryce | style | analyze | genotype |
| hype | Clyde | byte | typewriter | archetype | freestyle |
| Kyle | hyde | thyme | paralyze | argylye | gigabyte |
| lyme | Lyle | tyke | enzyme | hairstyle | mistype |
ie – Vowel Team
IE is a vowel team. When it comes at the end of a root, it makes the long vowel i sound.
There are only a handful of words that include this vowel team, so teaching these four words together as a word family may be a better approach than teaching and reviewing the vowel team.
| pie | die | lie | tie |
FAQ & Info
What are the best ways to teach long vowels?
Begin by solidifying the difference between long and short vowels. Use hands-on activities, manipulatives, and orthographic mapping activities. Vowel sorts are also great activities.
Should I teach all long vowel spellings at the same time?
You should not teach all long vowel patterns at the same time. Follow a scope and sequence that targets skills systematically to build a solid foundation.
Do I use all the words on the Long Vowel Word List?
Only choose words from the list that follow the phonics skills you’ve already taught. For example: When teaching the long y spelling for long i, do not use the word “city” with students if you haven’t already taught the soft sound of c says /s/.
Related Posts
👉 Get the rest of the printable Long Vowel Word Lists: Long A, Long E, Long O, and Long U!
- Long & Short Vowel Sorts
- Silent E Worksheets
- Magic Wand Silent E Printable
Download & Print
We hope you can use many of the words on this list as you teach the long i vowel sound. Please comment below or tag us on Instagram @Literacylearn to tell us your best tips for teaching long i.
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At last, the day has finally arrived when I get to go up against the long I words. Don’t worry, it’s nothing personal. The issue is that the category of long I words contains my favorite word in the English language but also some of my least favorite words. It is definitely a love and hate relationship that I have going on with long I words.
Worry not, I will be impartial as I teach you about this paradoxical selection of words. If you are curious as to what my favorite and least favorite words in the English language are then stay tuned to find out. I hope you like my words as much as I do.
What Are Long I Words?
Before we get any further into this subject, I have got to get you up to speed on just what exactly long I words are. Long I words are words that when pronounced make a long I sound. This could sound as if you are saying the letter I by itself. If you are confused then don’t worry because I have an example for you. Think about the word “silent”. Say it out loud and ponder its every syllable.
That sound it made at the very beginning? The Si sound right before we raise the lent. That is a long I sound that makes up a long I word. Simple and clean, I sure am glad we got that out of the way because now we can find sanctuary in the next section.
Ways to Spell Long I Words
There are not as many different ways of spelling a long I word as there are for long U words so let’s just jump right into it.
- I – The I by itself is strong enough to evoke the long I sound. The strong and independent vowel doesn’t need a consonant, just like the word “silent”.
- I_E – These racy consonants are always prevalent. This time, our improper consonant “friend’ has chosen to rest in between an I and E. The word “shine” will light our way.
- IE – IE is pie and it is not a lie. There are two long I words for you.
- IGH – Out of all the ways to spell long I words, this right here is my favorite. In fact, this bad boy can fit so many long I words, such as light.
- Y – Why the letter y makes a long I sound, I will never know but the word “my” is a great example of this phenomenon.
- Y_E – Perhaps the highest amount of times that the consonant has shown its disgraceful face in one list. I’ll give you your example word now so that we can leave. The word is “type”.
List of Long I Words
I
- Pilot
- Item
- Ivory
- Idea
- Idol
- Iris
- Iron
- Ice cream
I-E
- Ice
- Fire
- Life
- Pile
- Tide
- Wise
- Price
- Bike
- Five
- Like
- Pine
- Tile
- Alike
- Pride
- Bite
- Hide
- Lime
- Pipe
- Time
- Arise
- Prize
- Dice
- Hike
- Line
- Rice
- Tire
- Bride
- Shine
- Dime
- Hire
- Live
- Ride
- Vine
- Chime
- Slice
- Dive
- Hive
- Mice
- Ripe
- Wide
- Crime
- Slide
- File
- Item
- Nice
- Rise
- Wife
- Drive
- Smile
- File
- Kite
- Nine
- Side
- Wipe
- Glide
- Spike
- Fine
- Lice
- Pike
- Size
- Wire
- Knife
- White
IGH
- High
- Sigh
- Fight
- Light
- Might
- Night
- Right
- Sight
- Tight
- Bright
- Flight
- Knight
- Delight
- Tonight
- Lightening
IE
- Die
- Lie
- Pie
- Tie
- Cried
- Tried
- Dried
- Fried
- Tied
-Y
- By
- Why
- My
- Cry
- Dry
- Fry
- Fly
- Sly
- Spy
- Shy
- Apply
- Comply
- Supply
- Rely
- July
- Rhyme
- Cycle
Congratulations! You are ready to tackle the world with your long I words.
Long I Words | Image
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Last Updated on February 26, 2023
There are two types of word sounds for the letter i: short i and long i.
Here are some examples of each sound:
Short i: in, it, is, sit, lit
Long i: ice, light, time, pie, by
At the kindergarten stage, children are already expected to know words such as “like” and “into.” We can help children learn the sounds through repetition, flashcards, and sounding out the words.
Let’s look at some common short ‘i’ and long ‘i’ vowel sounds words that we can introduce to children.
The short ‘i’ vowel is made with only one mouth position. The International Phonetic Alphabet symbol (IPA) for the ‘i’ English short vowel is /ɪ/.
What are short i vowel word sounds?
Short ‘i’ vowel word sounds are the sounds that the letter ‘i’ makes in words like in, it, is, sit, lit. The letter ‘i’ usually has a short sound when it is followed by a consonant.
What are some common short i vowel words?
Here is a non-exhaustive list of short ‘i’ vowel sounds. Most of the words contain three or four letters which are perfect for a beginner.
- ib: bib, crib, rib, jib
- ic: pick, sick, kick, nick, lick
- id: kid, lid, did, hid, rid, skid, slid
- if: gift, rift, sift
- ig: pig, wig, fig, gig, dig, big, rig, zig, jig
- il: ill, mill, kill
- im: swim, dim, him, slim, trim
- in: fin, bin, gin, pin, win, tin, thin, chin, skin, twin, sing, ring
- ip: skip, hip, dip, nip, rip, sip, zip, lip
- is: kiss, miss, hiss, this
- it: sit, fit, bit, kit, mitt, with, pit, hit, lit, wit
- ix: fix, mix, six
- iv: give, live
Short I Vowel Word List Printable
Feel free to download these words to help your child sound out words.
Download the short ‘i’ vowel sound words here.
Long I Vowel Word Sounds
The long ‘i’ vowel sound is noticeably longer than the short ‘i’ sound. This is represented as /aɪ/ in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
What are long i vowel word sounds?
The long ‘i’ vowel sound is a vowel sound that is pronounced like the letter itself. The long ‘i’ vowel sound can be found in words like ice, light, time, pie, by.
What are some common long i vowel words?
- ie: die, tie, pie, lie, cried, fried, dried, tried
- ice: ice, nice, slice, twice, rice, lice, price, mice
- ide: ride, side, tide, wide, bide, glide, idea
- ife: wife, life, knife
- ike: bike, like, spike,
- ile: mile, file, smile, pile
- ime: time, dime, lime, line, prime
- ine: shine, fine, pine, vine, line
- ipe: wipe, pipe
- ire: wire, tire
- ise: rise, wise
- ite: kite, bite, site,
- ize: size, prize
- igh: high, sigh, bright, light, fight, sight, tonight, knight
- y: my, cry bye, buy, dye, shy, spy, why, sly, July, dry, fry, rely, sky, reply
Long i Vowel Word List Printable
Feel free to download these words to use as flashcards or to help your child sound out words.
Download the long ‘i’ vowel sound words here.
How to Teach the Short and Long I Vowel Sounds
Here are some tips and tricks to help your child learn the long and short ‘i’ vowel sound:
- Focus on one vowel at a time
- Say each word with your child and stress the vowel sound
- Create flashcards and play games like a scavenger hunt and bingo.
- Trace the words or get them to write them on their own
You can even think of other words to include outside of the list or make new words. You may be able to think of longer words.
Working on these words can help a child with their rhyming skills. They can think of other rhyming words with the ‘i’ vowel sound. This would also be a good time to discuss words that are real and not real.
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In Conclusion
Learning the short and long ‘i’ vowel sounds is an important skill for young learners. By learning how to identify these sounds, they will be better equipped to read and spell words. With some practice, your child will be a pro in no time!
Useful Links
- Letters of the Alphabet
- Kindergarden or Kindgarten: The Difference
- Most Common Nouns List
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Table of Contents
- Which word has a long i sound?
- Is Pig a short i word?
- Is wool a short oo sound?
- Is look a short oo sound?
- What do they call a fart in England?
- What is slang for yes sir?
- Is OK a word for yes?
- Can I say yes absolutely?
- How do you say yes in a flirty way?
- What can I say instead of yes sir?
- What does Aye mean?
- Is saying aye rude?
A few of the words that spell the long /i/ sound with just the letter i are only one syllable long. These words end with –ind, for example: kind, mind, and wind. You can practise spelling –ind words here. Most of the time the long /i/ sound is spelled with an i in the middle of the word and an e at the end of the word.
Is Pig a short i word?
Short I Word Wheel When you spin the wheel, words containing a short “i” sound appear, including pig, ship, lips, grin, sit, milk, king, kitten, ring, wink, gift, and pin.
Is wool a short oo sound?
The letters oo are used to spell two slightly different sounds. These words have the short oo sound as in book….Study the word list: The short /oo/ sound.
| good | I could see from his smile that he was in a good mood. |
|---|---|
| wool | Her new sweater was made from wool. |
Is look a short oo sound?
Begin by introducing the oo sound heard in the word look. It is referred to as the short oo sound On index cards write the words: book, foot, look, shook, wood, brook, good, nook, stood, wool, cook, hook, retook, took, unhook. Review the sound and say each word emphasizing the sound and continue the activities.
What do they call a fart in England?
Fittingly, “chuffed” is also British slang for “farted.”
What is slang for yes sir?
As you’ve probably noticed, the slang synonyms for “yessir” are listed above. According to the algorithm behind Urban Thesaurus, the top 5 slang words for “yessir” are: ya dat, f’days, plain city, la plata high school, and the doppler effect.
Is OK a word for yes?
Okay – The origin of this word is highly questionable. Many think that it is an abbreviation of ‘Orl Korrekt’ – a jokey misspelling of ‘all correct’ that was popular in the 1800s. Nowadays it’s meaning is very close to yes.
Can I say yes absolutely?
(Absolutely and definitely can be used in both polite and casual conversations) Yes you could. That is basically the main idea of those words.
How do you say yes in a flirty way?
Creative Ways to Say “Yes”
- Okey-dokey!
- I’m at your behest.
- Aye aye, captain!
- I was born for this!
- That would be a Y-E-S!
- You just stole the words out of my mouth.
- Right on, brother/sister.
- Definitely not NO.
What can I say instead of yes sir?
What is another word for yessir?
| yes | yeah |
|---|---|
| certainly | yah |
| yea | yup |
| absolutely | agreed |
| alright | indeed |
What does Aye mean?
Yes
Is saying aye rude?
“Och aye the noo!” Its direct English translation is “Oh yes, just now”. And, while some Scots may chuckle along with you, it is considered quite offensive by others. For the record, it is not even something you’ll generally hear the locals say.
What is a long i sound?
The ‘long i’ /ɑɪ/ is a 2-sound vowel that ends in a brief ‘y sound’ /y/. Part 2: As the jaw closes slightly, the body of the tongue moves upward until it is near the tooth ridge, similar to the position of a ‘y sound’ /y/. The front sides of the tongue touch the inside of the top, side teeth.
Which letter makes the long i sound in grind?
Most one-syllable English words ending in -ind have the ‘i’ pronounced long: bind, find, hind, kind, mind, rind, wind [verb], blind, grind.
How do you spell the long i sound?
Common ‘long i’ /ɑɪ/ spellings
- i_e. When the letter ‘i’ is followed by a single consonant and then the letter ‘e,’ the letter ‘i’ is usually pronounced as /ɑɪ/.
- igh. a.
- ie. Along with the /ɑɪ/ pronunciation, the ‘ie’ spelling has words that are pronounced as ‘long e’ /i/ (such as the word ‘brief’ /brif/.
- 4. – y.
- -y-
Is bike short I or long I?
Short “i”, like SIT — Long “i”, like BIKE Here are some words with the long “i” first, then the short “i”: file/fill. mice/miss. fight/fit.
Is fire long I or short I?
Circle Long ‘I’ Words The words are spider, idea, fire, island, ice cream, tiger, ivy, ice skates, eye, ice.
Is hid a short I?
The sound the spells in hid is called short >, and is written [i]. The sound the spells in hide is called long , and is written [ī].
How do you sound the letter I?
Here, we have the third vowel of the alphabet, and it makes an /i/ “ih” sound. As with all the other vowels, we first teach the “short” sound, and teach the “long” sound later on. The short sound of I sounds like “ih”, and the long sound sounds just like its name “I” (eye).
Is pen a short e word?
The words are leg, ten, hen, web, lemon, pen, vest, nest, jet, net. Circle 10 words that have a short E sound. The words are ten, pen, jet, web, nest, net, pencil, envelope, leg, vest.
Is dog a long o sound?
The short o sound has only one common spelling, the consonant-o-consonant spelling. Those sounds are the long o sound (long o), as in the word most and the aw sound (aw sound), as in the word dog.
Is Donut long or short o?
You can start referring to short “o” sounds as “chocolate words!” and long “o” sounds as “donut words!” as they continue to practice these phonics words—my students loved these categories!