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 |