In this post, I’m breaking down long vowel sounds (or long vowel words) to help you teach them when working with struggling readers and spellers.
Looking for long vowel word lists? Download all 5 of my pdf long vowel sounds word lists in my freebies library by joining my email list below.
What is a long vowel sound?
Long vowel sounds are vowels that are pronounced the same as their name. You’ll often hear teachers say that long vowels “say their name”.
Long vowels are very common but they can be tricky because there are so many spellings for each long vowel sound.
There are actually 4 ways to make long vowel sounds:
- Vowels at the end of a syllable make the long sound. For example, in the words me and halo (ha-lo) the vowels are all at the end of a syllable so they make the long sound.
- Silent e makes the previous vowel long. The words bike and phone have a silent e at the end that makes the previous vowel long.
- Vowel teams can make the long sound. Vowel teams work together to make one sound, and usually, it’s a long vowel sound. For example, boat and meat both have vowel teams that make the long sound.
- I or O can be long when they come before two consonants. In words like cold and mind, i and o make a long vowel sound.
Long Vowel Words
Long vowel sound words are words that have vowels that say their name. Below are a few examples:
- Long a – baby, cake, rain, day, they, weigh
- Long e – me, eve, hear, meet, piece, candy
- Long i – silent, bike, light, my
- Long o – go, home, toe, boat, snow
- Long u – music, mule, pew, feud
Long A Sound
The long a sound can be represented by 8 different spelling patterns:
- a – baby
- a_e – cake
- ai – rain
- ay – play
- ei – reindeer
- eigh – weight
- ea – steak
- ey – they
Learn more about teaching the long a sound here, and check out my Long A Words Activities & Worksheets for printable activities.
Long E Sound
The long e sound can be represented by 8 different spelling patterns:
- e – be
- e_e – eve
- ee – meet
- ea – beach
- ei – protein
- ie – piece
- ey – key
- y – candy
For ideas, tips, and tricks when teaching the long e sound, read this post all about teaching the long e vowel sound, and check out my Long E Words Activities & Worksheets for printable activities.
Long I Sound
The long i sound can be represented by 6 different spelling patterns:
- i – silent
- i_e – shine
- ie – pie
- igh – light
- y – my
- y_e – type
You can learn more about teaching the long I sound in this post. And check out my Long I Worksheets set in my shop for printable activities on the long i sound.
Long O Sound
The long o sound can be represented by 5 different spelling patterns:
- o – go
- o_e – phone
- oe – toe
- oa – boat
- ow – snow
You can learn more about teaching long o words and check out my long o worksheets.
Long U Sound
The long u has two sounds: yoo (/y/ /oo/) and oo (/oo/).
The long u sound can be represented by 7 different spelling patterns:
- u – music
- u_e – mule
- ue – rescue
- eu – feud
- ew – few
- oo – food
- ou – soup
Learn more about teaching the long u sound here.
Tips for teaching the long vowel sounds
Teach one spelling pattern at a time!
I don’t mean one vowel sound, but just one spelling pattern. So for example, if you’re working on long a, you would work on the spelling pattern a silent e (cake, same, cave) until students have mastered it, then move on to ai, and so on. You should not be teaching multiple spelling patterns together, even though they make the same sound.
I know that most programs out there combine all the long vowel sound spelling patterns into one lesson, especially in spelling lists, but this does not work for struggling readers. You need to break it down for them and only do one at a time.
Teach the syllable types.
Because syllables have a lot to do with whether vowels make the short or long sound, if students do not already know the 6 syllable types then teach them along with the long vowel sound.
Here are resources for each syllable type:
- closed syllable
- open syllable
- final silent e syllable
- vowel team syllable
- r combination syllable
- consonant le syllable
Use a variety of activities to practice each spelling pattern.
Games, dictation, word sorts, memory or matching with flashcards, word hunts, textured writing, body spelling, and bingo are all fun ways to practice the long vowel sounds.
The main activity that is often overlooked is dictation. It seems so simple but the task involves listening to a word, deciding on the spelling, and transferring that info to written form. These are all skills that struggling readers need to practice.
Teach the spelling generalizations.
Some of the long vowel spelling patterns are spelling rules that make it easy to remember.
For example, ai is usually found at the beginning or middle of a syllable, and ay is usually found at the end of a syllable. [Examples: rain, aim, play, daytime]
Here is another example with long o: oa is usually found at the beginning or middle of a word, and ow is usually found at the end. [Examples: boat, coach, snow]
I made these word lists to help teach the long vowels. I find it handy to have these on hand when playing phonics games or planning activities for long vowel lessons.
Grab them for free below!
Visit my Teachers Pay Teachers shop to see all my literacy products.
Want to remember this? Save Long Vowel Sounds: Word Lists & Activities to your favorite Pinterest board!
Delilah Orpi is the founder of Thrive Literacy Corner. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, a Master’s degree in TESOL, and is a member of the International Dyslexia Association. She is an experienced educator and literacy specialist trained in Orton Gillingham and Lindamood Bell. Delilah creates literacy resources for educators and parents and writes to create awareness about dyslexia and effective literacy instruction based on the science of reading.
What are long vowel words? Long vowels are usually pronounced with a long vowel sound. It is not always the case that everyone can pronounce or understand a word or phrase with a long vowel sound. Have you ever noticed that certain words have more than one meaning? Did you know about the different types of long vowels? In this article, you will know what long vowels are and how to pronounce them properly.
What Are Long Vowel Words?
Long vowels are words that have several meanings, depending on the length of the vowel. A long vowel occurs when the length of the vowel part of a word is almost always longer than the length of the following consonant part(s). This is not just a linguistic phenomenon, and it occurs in everyday speech and writing as well.
What Are Long Vowel Sounds?
The length of the vowel sound in a word is determined by the length of the following consonant sounds. This means that the longer the consonant sound, the longer the vowel. There are many types of vowels, and when it comes to determining whether a given word is a long vowel or not.
Ways to Make Long Vowel Sounds
Vowels with an Extension
When a vowel has an extra length, it’s called an extension. Examples of extension are the English syllabic “u” and the French “u.” The following are some of the easy ways to make long vowel sounds.
Vowels with a Throatsound
When a sounding “th” sound accompanies a vowel, it’s called a throaty vowel. Examples of a throaty: Vowel include the English “th,” the French “œ,” the Japanese “œ,” and the Indian “ś.”
Vowel bit: A vowel bit is a silent extra vowel sound made by either the tongue or the teeth.
List of Long Vowel Words
Long Vowel Words List
Long A Words
Here is the list of long A words.
- Baby
- Cake
- Rain
- Day
- They
- Weigh
- Play
- Reindeer
- Steak
- Bake
- Way
- Pay
- Rate
- Fame
- Raid
- Laid
- Maid
- Paid
- Braid
- Rail
- Tail
- Bait
- Trait
- Grain
- Plain
- Drain
- Train
- Jail
- Snail
- Vain
- Chain
- Rain
- Main
- Spain
- Wait
- Strait
- Sail
- Pail
- Slain
Long E Words
Below are some long E words in English.
- Be
- Eve
- Meet
- Beach
- Protein
- Piece
- Key
- Candy
- See
- Beam
- Scene
- Flea
- Plea
- Sneak
- Bead
- Beak
- Weak
- Freak
- Read
- Lead
- Meal
- Mean
- Cream
- Cheap
- Feast
- Clean
- Seal
- Zeal
- Steal
- Reap
- Dear
- Hear
- Near
- Wheat
- Treat
- Seat
- Meat
- Heat
- Scream
- Least
Long I Words
What are some long I words?
- Silent
- Shine
- Pie
- Light
- My
- Type
- I
- Pine
- Aisle
- Right
- Fine
- Lie
- Pie
- Tie
- Dried
- Fried
- Why
- Cry
- Fly
- Delight
- Might
- Knight
- Flight
- Nine
- Drive
- White
- Kite
- Nice
- Apply
- Shy
- Cycle
- Price
- Wise
- Tide
- Idol
- Ice
- Item
- Pilot
- Lime
- Like
Long O Words
Let’s take a look at some long O words in the English language.
- Go
- Phone
- Toe
- Boat
- Snow
- Road
- So
- Hoe
- Tow
- Coach
- Poach
- Roach
- Broach
- Load
- Toad
- Oak
- Soak
- Coal
- Goal
- Foam
- Loan
- Boar
- Soar
- Doe
- Throat
- Float
- Gloat
- Bloat
- Goat
- Roast
- Boast
- Croak
- Shoal
- Roam
- Roar
- Goad
- Moan
- Groan
- Cloak
- Woe
Long U Words
What are some long U words?
- Music
- Mule
- Rescue
- Feud
- Few
- Food
- Soup
- Rude
- Statue
- Duke
- Queue
- Cue
- Fruit
- Suit
- Unicorn
- Bugle
- Cupid
- Human
- Duty
- Unit
- Uniform
- Student
- Use
- Cube
- Cute
- Huge
- Flume
- Flute
- Mew
- New
- Blew
- Jewel
- Threw
- School
- Too
- Moon
- Room
- Goose
- Blue
- Clue
Common Long Vowel Words
Let’s take a look at some of the most common long vowel words today.
Deemed
Deeming is a fancy word for word removal. It can refer to the removal of words or the addition of words. Other common usages of the word deemed include when a judge rules on a case, when a doctor pronounces a patient dead, and when we determine how something was made or who made it.
Beam
The beam was a common word until recently, but it has almost become synonymous with strong or sturdy. Beam refers to a system where a person’s weight determines how much of a certain type of food they should consume. It also means a strong foundation or backbone of something else.
Scenes
A scene is usually a group activity where people talk, observe, and learn. It can also refer to a public place to freely talk, read, and learn without feeling overcrowded or unsafe.
Pine
People who love nature might appreciate the pine. This is a tree with a long history in our culture. It is known for its resiliency, strength, and ability to grow back after being cut, broken limbs, or needles lost.
Fine
This is a synonym for expensive. But, as you can see from the examples above, the meaning of a fine is not always about price. It can refer to the quality of something or the feeling you get when you consume it.
Road
This is a common word that has been recently redefined. It used to be considered a highway, but today it is more often used to refer to a path people take rather than the highway itself.
Duke
This is a common word that means the person or thing that makes or gives something else it is quality. It is also used to mean the same thing as the word strong.
As you can see from the list above, many different types of long vowel words exist. They are useful in many different contexts and are easy to remember. So, the next time you visit a new city or feel lost in a crowd, don’t worry. Just take a quick look around, and you’ll be fine.
Long Vowel Words | Pictures
List of Long Vowel Words
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Last Updated on July 1, 2022
“There are moments in business and in life when you have to say, ‘Failure is not an option.’” – Donny Deutsch
There are two purposes for this page. First, this is a good excuse to continue to practice your hiragana. Second, long vowels are something you’ll run into a lot (and are actually pretty hard to understand right away). I feel like it’s good to talk about them early so that as you run into them you can make mental notes and get better.
Now, the reason “long vowels” give people trouble is because the difference between a “short/regular vowel” and a “long vowel” is pretty subtle. Let’s take a look at some examples of words that have “long vowels” in them so you can see what I mean.
a こういち (ko-u-i-chi)
The “long vowel” in this name (it’s my name, actually) comes from the こう (ko-u) part. As you can see, the う (u) is placed after the こ (ko) in order to extend the vowel sound.
a おおきい (o-o-ki-i)
In this word, there are two long vowels. おお (0-0) and きい (ki-i). In both cases, you just extend the vowel sounds of “o” and “ki” to make them longer. Of course, you don’t want to make them too much longer, though, otherwise it’ll sound like you’re singing or something. あああああああいいいいいいいい will always love ゆうううううううう (translate that into romaji for some fun).
a いい (i-i)
いい means “good” in Japanese, and is pronounced like one long いい sound. You just extend whatever the last vowel sound was with the second vowel sound (in this case, they’re both い).
a そう (so-u), どう (do-u), もう (mo-u)
All three of these are similar. They are “o-column sounds” with an extra う on the end. The funny thing about adding an う to an “o-column” sound is that it really doesn’t sound so much like an extended う as it sounds like an extended お-sound. It’s pretty subtle, but if you listen you should be able to hear a mixture of an う+お sound making the vowel longer.
To help you out, I’ve put together a list of patterns that show up with common “long vowels.” It’s so much easier to look at the pattern than it is to look at all the possible combinations out there.
あ-Column + あ – examples: ああ、かあ、さあ、まあ、きゃあ
い-Column + い – examples: いい、きい、しい、じい
う-Column + う – examples: くう、じゅう、にゅう、りゅう、ふう
え-Column + え – examples: ええ
お-Column + う – examples: おう、こう、そう、とう、じょう、りょう、ぞう、どう、もう
*お-Column + お – examples: おお、とお
*Sometimes お-column kana can be extended with お as well (though you’ll see う extending お-column kana more often).
As you move on, you’ll see more and more of these. Part of it is knowing they exist, and the other part is just getting enough experience working with them (don’t worry, TextFugu has you covered). Before you move on, I only ask that you understand how long-vowels effect any particular kana. Take a look at the “long-vowel” patterns up above. It’s really not too hard to remember, the only “weird” one is お-column. Other than that, all kana-columns are extended by the vowel (either あいうえ or お) in their own column, making it really easy to predict.
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NEW VIDEO: Long vowel words
Have you ever wondered whether you’re using the right vowel sounds in the right words when you speak British English? Have you ever wish that you knew how to pronounce English vowels accurately?
Well, in this video I’m going to show you how to pronounce 1 of the 5 most commonly mispronounced vowels in English and show you its most typical spellings. So, here we go.
Long vowel words: #1 the ee vowel sound
This video is about the ee vowel sound.
You make this sound with the lips spread and with the tongue high and forward in the front of the mouth. And this is one of the long vowel sounds.
Typical Spellings for the ee sound
The most typical spellings associated with this vowel sound are:
- ee as in teeth
- e as in me
- ie as in brief
- ei as in ceiling
- ey as in key
- y as in happy
- eo as in people
- ea as in each
- ae as in anaemic
- i as in police
- ay as in quay
Although, be careful, because there are other vowel sounds that use these letters, which is why English can be so difficult to speak without professional guidance.
Practice words
Here are some practice words:
- see, even, piece, receive, money, worry.
Keep learning?
Now, if you want to master another of the most commonly mispronounced vowels, select from one of the videos below:
But if you would like to perfect this particular vowel sound and massively improve your confidence and fluency in English, then click here and download our free 5 day eCourse. With just 5 minutes a day for the next 5 days, you’ll get to the heart of the top 5 mispronounced vowel sounds. You’ll get loads of practice words, drawings of tongue and lips positions, 25 mins of audio plus a secret bonus.
You can even download it to your mobile device so that you can practice when you’re on the go. So if you really want to improve your clarity then click here and download this free 5 Day eCourse.
If you enjoyed this video, don’t forget to click like below and post a question or comment below and I’ll be sure to respond.
Have you seen this?
When you teach reading and spelling, it’s a good idea to have a general overview of long vowel sounds. Let’s dive in!
A long vowel is a vowel that is pronounced the same as its name. For example, the word emu starts with the long E sound.
Seems pretty simple, right? But did you know that long vowel sounds can be spelled four different ways and that each way follows a specific spelling pattern?
The overview that follows will help you see the big picture about long vowel sounds as you teach reading and spelling. Read on to discover these useful patterns!
Four Ways to Form Long Vowel Sounds
A vowel at the end of a syllable can be long.
In the word we, as in We love emus, the vowel E is at the end of the syllable and says long E. In these words, the vowel at the end of a syllable is long: hero, hi, music.
Silent E can make the previous vowel long.
In the word cute, as in Emus are cute, the long U sound is formed by adding Silent E at the end of the word. Here are more words in which Silent E makes the previous vowel long: tape, shine, code.
Vowel teams can make long vowel sounds.
Vowel teams are two vowels that work together to make one sound. For example, in the word eat, as in Emus eat seeds, vowel team EA says long E. These words have vowel teams that make a long vowel sound: mail, sheep, soap.
I or O can be long when they come before two consonants.
In the word stroll, as in The emu went for a stroll, the letter O comes before two consonants and says its long vowel sound. In these words, I or O are long before two consonants: kind, gold, child.
So there you go—the four basic patterns for spelling long vowel sounds!
Let’s Dive in a Little Deeper
The chart below illustrates the most common ways to spell the long vowel sounds.
Click to Download a Printable Chart!
Seeing these spellings all gathered in one place is enlightening for those of us who are already proficient readers and spellers. But I would only recommend using the chart for reference, or with an older student who has already mastered most of these phonograms. I would not recommend overwhelming a beginning student by teaching these spellings all at once. Instead, teach these basic patterns to students incrementally, one at a time.
Activities to Teach Long Vowel Sounds
Are you interested in seeing how we teach the four long vowel patterns in All About Reading and All About Spelling? Here is a sampling for you to download and enjoy!
The Bottom Line for Teaching Long Vowel Sounds
When it comes to teaching long vowel sounds, here’s what you need to keep in mind:
- Long vowel sounds can be spelled four different ways, each following a specific pattern.
- Teach these basic patterns to students incrementally, one at a time.
- Keep it fun! Use a wide variety of interesting activities to help your student learn the four patterns for forming long vowel sounds.
All About Reading and All About Spelling walk you and your student through all the steps needed to help your student learn to read and spell. The programs are multisensory, motivating, and complete with everything you need. And if you ever need a helping hand, we’re here for you.
What’s your take on teaching the long vowel sounds? Do you have anything else to share? Let me know in the comments below!
Looking for information on short vowels? Check out our Handy Guide to Short Vowel Sounds!