The word vowel can refer to either a speech sound created with the vocal tract open or a letter of the alphabet that represents a spoken vowel.
Let us know about the English Alphabet first.
The present English alphabet consists of 26 letters, each of which has an upper- and lower-case version. It was derived from Latin script in the 7th century. Letters have been added or removed since then, resulting in the current Modern English alphabet, which consists of 26 letters with no diacritics, digraphs, or special characters. The Greek alphabet’s first two letters, alpha and beta, are combined to form the word alphabet.
Vowels: A, E, I, O, U. Consonants: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, X, Z.
Vowels
A vowel is a syllabic spoken sound that is pronounced without any vocal tract stricture. Vowels are one of the two main types of speech sounds, with consonants being the other. The quality, loudness, and number of vowels varies (length). They are usually voiced and play an important role in prosodic variation like tone, intonation, and emphasis.
The word vowel is derived from the Latin word vocalis, which means “to speak” (i.e. relating to the voice).
The word vowel is frequently used in English to refer to both vowel sounds and the written symbols that represent them (a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y).
The phonological definition of “vowel” may not always match the phonetic definition (i.e. a sound produced without constriction in the vocal tract) (i.e. a sound that forms the peak of a syllable). The approximants [j] and [w] show this: both have little constriction in the vocal tract (thus phonetically they appear to be vowel-like), but they occur at the beginning of syllables (e.g., in “yet” and “wet”), implying that they are consonants phonologically. In rhotic dialects, there is a similar controversy over whether a word like bird has an r-colored vowel / or a syllabic consonant /.
Consonant
A consonant is a sound that is not a vowel in speech. It also refers to the letters of the alphabet that represent certain sounds: consonants include Z, B, T, G, and H.
All non-vowel sounds, or their equivalent letters, are consonants: A, E, I, O, U, and occasionally Y are not consonants. H and T are consonants in hat. A consonant can also be used as an adjective to indicate things that appear to be compatible, or things that are “agreeable.” You may remark that a country’s aid offer is in line with its treaties. Consonant sounds are pleasant to hear in music, as opposed to “dissonant” sounds, which are unpleasant.
Linguists have invented systems such as the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to assign a unique and unambiguous symbol to each confirmed consonant because the number of speech sounds in the world’s languages is significantly greater than the number of letters in any one alphabet. Because there are fewer consonant letters in the English alphabet than there are consonant sounds in the English language, digraphs like ch, sh, th, and ng are employed to extend the alphabet, however some letters and digraphs represent more than one consonant. For example, the sound spelt th in “this” is not the same as the sound spelled th in “thin.
What is a long vowel word?
Long vowels are letters in which the sounds of the letters A, E, I, O, and U correspond to the letter’s spoken name. Typically, they are taught from preschool to first grade. A word with a short vowel is frequently turned into a word with a long vowel by adding a silent letter “e” to the end of the word.
Consider the following scenario:
“Mat” becomes “mate” by adding the letter “e.”
“Win” becomes “wine” by adding a “e.”
“Hope” becomes “hope” by adding the letter “e.”
“Tub” becomes “tube” by adding a “e.”
The letter “e” is an exception, as the rule of adding a silent “e” does not apply.
There are other similar exclusions that can be confusing to children when they first begin. It necessitates the teacher staging the lesson in order to present each rule and exception separately. You, as a parent, can begin assisting at home by working closely with the teacher.
Long Vowel Words in Sentences
A Words with a Long A
The words in bold contain the long A sound.
Is it possible for you to bake a cake for me?
That’s not something I’m going to pay for.
They’ll never return home at this pace.
Jenny does it for the fame and wealth it will bring her.
Have you heard about the executive’s office being raided?
E Words with a Long E
The words in bold contain the long E sound.
To be or not to be, that is the question. That is the issue.
Pete intends to see her again as soon as possible.
On the high beam, the gymnast shines.
The ethics board deemed the actions to be unacceptable.
At the deli, there was quite a scene.
I Words That Are Long
The words in bold feature the long I sound.
Sara and I have tickets to see a movie.
Pine needles are strewn about the place!
The jam can be found in the bread aisle.
At the next junction, make a right turn.
Everything is going to work out fine..
Long O Words
In the bolded words, the long O sound is prominent.
A well-known fictional figure is The Lone Ranger.
The dirt road in the country isn’t paved.
Herbert was so happy began bouncing up and down.
Could you go to the garden shed and get me a hoe?
Just in time, a tow truck arrived.
Long U Phrases
The words in bold contain the long U sound.
Our order has yet to be taken by the rude waitress.
Do you know where the Statue of Liberty is located?
The Duke and Duchess of York recently paid a visit.
With such a long queue, we might expect a long wait.
Right on cue, he appears.
Tips for teaching the long vowel sounds
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If your youngster is having trouble with long vowel sounds, don’t get too worked up about it. Children learn at different rates, but if you work with them at home, they will generally catch up. Flashcards are an excellent and entertaining method to accomplish this.
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If, on the other hand, your child is lagging behind and you are concerned that there is a serious problem, you can take the following steps:
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Visit your pediatrician for a physical examination, which should include a vision and hearing test. If you see any signs of hearing loss, you should consult a specialist to determine whether you have frequency hearing loss.
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Have your child tested by a certified speech and language pathologist if you suspect expressive or receptive language issues.
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You can also talk to your child’s teacher about having your child screened for learning difficulties or requesting a referral for a thorough assessment to see if your child needs special education services.
