Long Vowel Patterns
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Vowels can make different sounds! Long vowels say their name. Let us learn the patterns that make vowels long!
What Are Long Vowels?
The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u
A long vowel says its own name:
- Long A says "ay" like in "cake"
- Long E says "ee" like in "tree"
- Long I says "eye" like in "bike"
- Long O says "oh" like in "boat"
- Long U says "you" like in "cube"
Long Vowel vs. Short Vowel
Compare these words:
- cap (short a) vs. cape (long a)
- pet (short e) vs. Pete (long e)
- kit (short i) vs. kite (long i)
- hop (short o) vs. hope (long o)
- cub (short u) vs. cube (long u)
Common Long Vowel Patterns
- Vowel-Consonant-E (VCE): make, bike, rope
- Two vowels together: rain, team, boat
- Vowel at the end: he, go, my
When Two Vowels Go Walking
Remember this rhyme: "When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking!"
This means the first vowel says its name (long sound), and the second vowel is silent.
Examples: rain, boat, team
Worked Examples
Example 1: Finding the Long Vowel Sound
Word: "lake"
Step 1: Look at the word: l-a-k-e
Step 2: It has the VCE pattern (vowel-consonant-e)
Step 3: The A says its name: "ay"
Answer: Long A sound
Example 2: Two Vowels Together
Word: "boat"
Step 1: Find the vowels: O and A
Step 2: Two vowels are together
Step 3: The first vowel (O) says its name, A is silent
Answer: Long O sound (bOAt sounds like "bOHt")
Example 3: Short or Long?
Word: "cap" vs. "cape"
cap: No silent E, the A is short (sounds like "a" in apple)
cape: Has silent E at the end, the A is long (sounds like "ay")
The silent E makes the vowel long!
Example 4: Spelling with Long Vowels
Problem: Spell the word that means "not dirty"
Step 1: Say the word: "clean"
Step 2: Listen for the long E sound
Step 3: The EA makes the long E sound
Answer: c-l-e-a-n (clean)
Example 5: Reading Long Vowel Words
Words: rain, play, day
rain: AI together = long A sound
play: AY at the end = long A sound
day: AY at the end = long A sound
All three words have the long A sound spelled different ways!
Practice Problems
Practice identifying long vowel sounds!
Problem 1: Does "bike" have a long or short I?
Show Answer
Long I - The silent E at the end makes the I say its name.
Problem 2: Find the long vowel in "tree."
Show Answer
Long E - The two E's together make the long E sound.
Problem 3: Which has a long O: "hop" or "hope"?
Show Answer
hope - The silent E makes the O long. "Hop" has a short O.
Problem 4: What vowel sound is in "rain"?
Show Answer
Long A - AI together makes the long A sound.
Problem 5: Sort these words: "pin, pine, bit, bite"
Show Answer
Short I: pin, bit | Long I: pine, bite
Problem 6: What long vowel sound is in "meat"?
Show Answer
Long E - EA together makes the long E sound.
Problem 7: Does "go" have a long or short O?
Show Answer
Long O - When a vowel is at the end of a short word, it is often long.
Problem 8: What makes the vowel long in "mule"?
Show Answer
The silent E at the end makes the U say its name (long U).
Problem 9: Name 3 words with a long A sound.
Show Answer
Examples: cake, rain, play, make, name, train, day, say
Problem 10: Which has a long E: "bed" or "bead"?
Show Answer
bead - EA makes the long E sound. "Bed" has a short E.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1: What is a long vowel?
Show Answer
A long vowel says its own name (A says "ay", E says "ee", I says "eye", O says "oh", U says "you").
Question 2: What does "when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" mean?
Show Answer
When two vowels are next to each other, the first vowel makes its long sound and the second vowel is silent.
Question 3: What is the VCE pattern?
Show Answer
Vowel-Consonant-E pattern, like in "cake" (a-k-e). The silent E makes the first vowel long.
Question 4: How does adding a silent E change "cap" to "cape"?
Show Answer
The silent E makes the A change from short (cap - sounds like "a" in apple) to long (cape - the A says its name "ay").
Next Steps
- Practice: Look for long vowel words when you read
- Sort: Make lists of words with the same long vowel sound
- Next Lesson: Learn more about the silent E rule!
- Challenge: Find 5 words with each long vowel sound