Words with Short Vowel Sounds
The short vowel sound is made by words with only three letters for a reason. A second vowel is usually not allowed to force the long vowel sound out when three letters are used. Words like “bee” and “tea” are exceptions.
These words employ a second vowel to force the long vowel sound from the first, whereas terms like “ant” and “mat” employ consonant placement to induce a short vowel sound.
However, there is one thing to keep in mind. Short vowel sounds, not short vowel spellings, are given below. That instance, just because a word is short doesn’t guarantee the vowel sound would be short as well.
And the written vowel doesn’t always match the sound it makes. Take, for example, the word “pretty.” The E is pronounced as a short I, while the Y is spoken as a long E. It sounds more like “prit-tee” than “pret-tai” on the phonetic scale.
Similarly, we cannot expect that a big word will have a long vowel sound. Consider the term “business.” The U and E in “business” are also pronounced as a short I, with the I remaining silent. We don’t pronounce it “buss-eye-ness” phonologically. It’s more along the lines of “biz-niss.” With that in mind, let’s look at some more short vowel words, organized alphabetically.
Difference between Long Vowel Words and Short Vowel Words
Sounds of Short Vowels
Short vowel sounds are a type of pronunciation for the vowels a, e, I o, and u in the English language. This isn’t a literal description (you wouldn’t say the vowels in a short, rapid, or truncated manner), but it’s meant to contrast long vowel sounds.
Long vowel sounds are pronounced “by name,” which means “a” is pronounced like the letter “a” in “lake,” “e” is pronounced like the letter “e” in “cheese,” I is pronounced like the letter I in “like,” and so on.
Repeated vowels (like the letter “e” in “free” or “meet”) or vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) word spellings (like the letter “a” in “made,” the letter I in “time,” and the letter “o” in “funny”) are the main sources of long vowel sounds.
Short vowel sounds, on the other hand, are how vowels are usually spoken in consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) word spellings. The letter “a” in “hat” or “bag,” the letter “u” in “cup” or “tug,” and the letter I in “large” or “tin” are all examples of this.
Longer words can be included in short vowel words than simple CVC words, such as “snack,” “jump,” or “plot.”
Vowels with Long Vowels
A long vowel sounds like the letter’s name. A ‘long A,’ for example, sounds like the letter A. The sound of a ‘long E’ is similar to that of the letter E. So, when does a vowel sound like a ‘long vowel’? One of two things normally happens:
Putting two vowels adjacent to each other is the first approach to generate a long vowel sound. When two vowels stand adjacent to each other in a word, the first vowel usually generates a lengthy sound. Words like ‘bead,”seed,”mail,’ and ‘boat’ are examples of this. Take note of how the word ‘bead’ has a long E sound, while the term ‘mail’ has a long A sound.
The E at the end of a word is the second technique to generate a long vowel sound. A long vowel sound is also created by adding an E at the end of a word. Words like ‘bake,’ ‘bike,”mote,’ and’mute’ are examples of this.
Take note of how the word’mute’ has a long ‘U’ sound, but the word ‘bike’ has a long ‘I’ sound.
Making Use of Short Vowel Sounds
Despite the fact that the preceding list of words with short vowels is inadequate, you can use it to learn the fundamentals of short vowel sounds. These short vowel sounds are also frequently used in longer words. They can be found in words with lengthy vowel sounds, as well as two-letter words like “in,” “it,” and “at.” Short and long vowel sounds are used in longer words like “magistrate” and “fascinate.”
Depending on the tense of the word, some words use both short and long vowel sounds. When the tense is present, words like “read” are pronounced with the long vowel sound. “We’re reading this list of short vowel words,” for example.
Short Vowel Rule: When there is just one vowel in a word, it usually has the short vowel sound, either at the beginning or between two consonants.
Short vowel words Examples:
1. Short vowel A words:
In words like “bat” or “map,” the short A sound is heard. Here are some more amazing examples that start with the letter A.
ant pan wag jam cat bad ax ran flag and bat dad wax van cap band hat has can gas map hand pat mad fan bag nap sand rat sad man tag ham lamp sat glass
2. Short vowel E words
In terms like “gem” and “hem,” the short E sound is heard. Here are some more amazing words that start with the letter E.
egg bed test jet hen fell leg fed vest met men hell sled red west net pen sell step nest web pet ten well tent rest get wet bell smell
3. Short vowel I words
Words like “dim” and “fib” have a short I sound to them. Here are some more amazing words that appear on the list I.
dig tip hid crib sit fill pig pin kid fist bit hill dip tin bib milk hit pill hip win fib silk pit will lip did rib swim mitt him
4. Short vowel O words
In terms like “con” and “nod,” the short O sound is heard. Here are some more amazing words that sound short with the letter O.
God hop stop jot fox cob nod mop cot not box,mod pod pop dot pot box rob rod top got rot pox sob sod drop hot tot mom pond
5. Short vowel U words
In terms like “bus” and “hum,” the short U sound is used. Here are some more amazing words that contain short U sounds.
cub gun buzz dug tug bus tub run but hug cuff dump bud sun cut jug puff hump mud cup nut mug gum jump gull pup bug rug yum pump
