What Are Short Vowels

Wondering what are short vowels? As you learn to read, the steps you need becomes automatic leaving many adults, teachers, and parents to ask themselves what are the different vowel sounds and how are they used when learning to read and write?

Short vowels are when the letters (a, e, i, o, u) say their assigned sound rather than the letter name. These sounds are also called “open mouth sounds” because each sound is said with the mouth open.

 

Take a look at these vowel sounds:

A – apple, cat

E – elephant, pet

I – itch, pit

O – octopus, cot

U – up, cut

 

Listen to the sounds here:

Short A:

Short E:

Short I:

Short O:

Short U:

 

What to Tell Students

When students often ask “what are short vowels?” keep the answer simple. Say, “short vowels says the sound”. It is beneficial to have students repeat the phrase over and over again to help with them achieve mastery of this skill.

Short letter sounds often appear in the middle of words, between two consonants. They also help the reader or writer determine the syllables in the words.

 

HOW TO MARK VOWELS

Phonetically, short vowels are noted with a breve symbol (ă). This symbol is noted in dictionaries and other vocabulary indexes to help the reader with correct pronunciation. As students grow comfortable with different letter sounds it can be helpful to use the phonetic notation as they apply their letter sound knowledge into their reading and writing.

 

Now, if someone asks, “what is a short sound?” you can answer! Short vowels are when the letter says its assigned sound.

 

Use these to help teach letter sound correspondence!