Vowels
Vowels are the letters A, E, I, O, and U. They can make different
sounds:
1. Short Vowel Sounds:
o A (cat)
o E (bed)
o I (sit)
o O (pot)
o U (cup)
2. Long Vowel Sounds:
o A (cake)
o E (see)
o I (like)
o O (home)
o U (cute)
Consonant Digraphs
A digraph is when two letters combine to make one sound. Here are
some common consonant digraphs:
1. Ch (chat)
2. Sh (ship)
3. Th (this, think)
4. Wh (whale)
5. Ph (phone)
Examples of Consonant Digraphs
● Ch: chat, cheese, much
● Sh: ship, fish, wish
● Th: this, think, bath
● Wh: whale, why, what
● Ph: phone, graph, elephant
Word Chaining
Word chaining is when you change one letter to create a new word.
Here are some examples using vowels and consonant digraphs:
1. Cat → Cut (change A to U)
2. Ship → Shop (change I to O)
3. Path → Bath (change P to B)
4. Chat → Chad (change T to D)
5. Make → Mice (change K to C)
Practice
Try creating your word chains or finding more words with vowels and
consonant digraphs! For example:
● Hot → Not → Net → Bat.
Long Vowel Sounds
Long vowels occur when a vowel is pronounced the same way as its
name. Each long vowel can be spelled in different ways, so
understanding these variations is key.
1. Long A (A)
● Sound: Pronounced like the letter "A" (/eɪ/).
● Common Spellings:
o ai (rain)
o ay (play)
o a-e (cake)
● Example Words:
o Bake: The "a" is long, pronounced like "A."
o Crane: The "a" is long due to the silent "e."
Word Chaining Example:
● Sale → Sail (change E to I).
2. Long E (E)
● Sound: Pronounced like the letter "E" (/iː/).
● Common Spellings:
o ee (tree)
o ea (team)
o e-e (even)
● Example Words:
o Meet: The "e" is pronounced long.
o Seat: The "e" is long because of the vowel team "ea."
Word Chaining Example:
● Feet → Fete (change E to T).
3. Long I (I)
● Sound: Pronounced like the letter "I" (/aɪ/).
● Common Spellings:
o ie (lie)
o igh (high)
o i-e (bike)
● Example Words:
o Time: The "i" is long, influenced by the silent "e."
o Fly: The "y" at the end can also represent a long "I."
Word Chaining Example:
● Mile → Pile (change M to P).
4. Long O (O)
● Sound: Pronounced like the letter "O" (/oʊ/).
● Common Spellings:
o oa (boat)
o oe (toe)
o o-e (home)
● Example Words:
o Stone: The "o" is long due to the silent "e."
o Gloam: The "oa" combination gives a long "o" sound.
Word Chaining Example:
● Cone → Zone (change C to Z).
5. Long U (U)
● Sound: Pronounced like the letter "U" (/juː/).
● Common Spellings:
o ue (blue)
o u-e (cute)
o ew (new)
● Example Words:
o June: The "u" is long, influenced by the silent "e."
o Glue: The "u" is pronounced long due to the "ue."
Word Chaining Example:
● Cure → Sure (change C to S).
Consonant Digraphs
Consonant digraphs are important in phonics because they combine
two letters to create one sound. Here’s a deeper look at some
common digraphs:
1. Ch
● Sound: /ch/, as in "chair."
● Examples:
o Chirp: The "ch" makes the /ch/ sound.
o Cheer: The "ch" also produces the /ch/ sound.
Word Chaining Example:
● Chill → Will (change C to W).
2. Sh
● Sound: /sh/, as in "shoe."
● Examples:
o Shout: The "sh" creates the /sh/ sound.
o Fish: The "sh" is also pronounced /sh/.
Word Chaining Example:
● Shack → Snack (change H to N).
3. Th
● Sound: Can be voiced (/ð/) as in "this" or unvoiced (/θ/) as in
"think."
● Examples:
o That: Voiced /ð/.
o Thing: Unvoiced /θ/.
Word Chaining Example:
● Thick → Tick (change H to I).
4. Wh
● Sound: /wh/, as in "whale."
● Examples:
o Whistle: The "wh" produces the /wh/ sound.
o Whisk: Again, the "wh" is pronounced /wh/.
Word Chaining Example:
● Whip → Ship (change W to S).
5. Ph
● Sound: /f/, as in "phone."
● Examples:
o Photo: The "ph" makes the /f/ sound.
o Graph: The "ph" also produces the /f/ sound.
Word Chaining Example:
● Phase → Face (change P to F).
