What is a vowel?

A vowel is a speech sound you make when air flows out of your mouth without being blocked by your lips, teeth, or tongue. In English, the letters that usually stand for vowel sounds are A, E, I, O, U. The letter Y is sometimes a vowel, like in the words "my" or "happy."

Letters that are vowels

• A
• E
• I
• O
• U
• Sometimes Y (when it makes a vowel sound)

How vowels sound

Vowel sounds can be short or long:

• Short vowel sounds: cat (short a), bed (short e), sit (short i), hot (short o), cup (short u).
• Long vowel sounds: cake (long a — it says its name), bee (long e), kite (long i), bone (long o), cute (long u).

Tip: A silent "e" at the end of a word often makes the vowel before it say its name (cap vs. cape).

Vowel teams

Sometimes two vowels work together to make one sound. These are called vowel teams or digraphs. Examples:

• ai as in rain
• ea as in seat
• oa as in boat
• ee as in tree

Syllables and vowels

Every syllable in a word needs a vowel sound. For example, "ta-ble" has two syllables and two vowel sounds. If you can clap the syllables, you can find the vowel sounds.

Quick practice (try these)

• cat — short a
• cake — long a (silent e)
• my — Y is a vowel here (long i sound)
• rain — vowel team "ai" (long a)
• bee — long e (double e)
• bone — long o (silent e)

Tips to remember

• Vowels are letters that let air flow out freely.
• If a letter makes a sound like its name (A, E, I, O, U), that's usually a long vowel.
• Look for silent e and vowel teams to help figure out the sound.

Want more practice? Tell me a few words and I can help you find the vowel sounds in them!