Most vowel pairs make a long vowel sound. Therefore, when you see two vowels together you can assume the sound is long. The vowel that goes first is normally the sound. For example:
- Boat – The “o” is first, so the vowel sound is a long “o”
“When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.”
Vowel Pairs with 1 Sound
AY
Play, stay, way, May, always, pay, spray
Vowel Sound | Long A |
EE
Seen, been, keep, meet, sleep, sheep,
Vowel Sound | Long E |
OA
Coach, foam, throat, coat
Vowel Sound | Long O |
AI
Pain, stain, pail, snail, wait
Vowel Sound | Long A |
Vowel Pairs with Multiple Sounds
EA
This vowel pair can have three different sounds.
Vowel Sound | Short E |
- Head, Weather
Vowel Sound | Long E |
- Speak, Ear
Vowel Sound | Long A |
- Steak, Bear
IE
This pair has two sounds.
Vowel Sound | Long E |
- Field, Piece
Vowel Sound | Long I |
- Pie, Flies
OO
This pair has two sound. You can see the difference in this chart.
Moon | Book |
Bloom | Good |
Pool | Wood |
Fool | Shook |
Goose | Foot |
Mood | Look |
OU
Here are the three sounds for this pair.
Out | You | Though |
Shout | Group | Shoulder |
Foul | Tour | |
Mouth | Youth | |
House | Soup |
OW
This one has two sounds:
Cow | Snow |
How | Show |
Now | Blow |
Crowd | Know |