Vowels

A consonant is a sound formed by a closed position of the articulating organs as you hear, for example, with letters B, D, or T. In forming a consonant the voice is compressed or stopped. Most letters in the English alphabet form consonant sounds. Listen:

A vowel is a clear sound made through an open position of the mouth-channel, which molds or shapes the voice without obstructing its utterance. Vowels sounds are formed using these letters, alone or in combination with other letters; A, E, I, O, U, sometimes Y, W.

Note: For more information about using your mouth to form sounds, search the internet using terms like — articulation mouth pictures.

Vowel sounds are short, long, or occasional. With some exceptions:

1. Short vowel sounds are formed when a single vowel is used in one syllable.

Short a as in cat

Short e as in bed

Short i as in kit

Short o as in hot

Short u as in bun



2. Long vowels sounds are formed with two vowels working together.

Long a as in bake

Long e as in weed

Long i as in kite

Long o as in boat

Long u as in hue



3. Occasional vowel sounds are formed when single vowels blend with certain consonants like r, w and l.

a as in car

e as in her

i as in bird

o as in book

u as in rural

The English language is heterogeneous and often different combinations of letters produce the same sound. Study the examples in the table below to see all the ways vowels work together to form the long vowel sounds;

When the consonant Y and W work with vowels to produce long or occasional vowel sounds, such that only a vowel sound is produced (the consonant sound disappears), we consider Y and W to be acting like vowels as in pay, bow, key, new. So we say Y and W are sometimes vowels.

Don’t worry — every reader improves with practice!

Vowel and consonant sounds are sandwiched together to form words. If vowels are the ham and cheese of a sandwich word, consonants are the bread.