Sounds and Letters: Understanding Vowels and Consonants, Lecture notes of English Language

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THE

READING

ROAD

Chapter 1:

Sounds & Letters

Contents

• Introduction to Sounds & Letters
• Sounds
  • Blending
• Letters
• Vowels & Consonants
  • Vowels
  • Long & Short Vowels
  • Consonants
• B & D
• Tower Game

Sounds

When we talk, we use lots of different sounds. We don’t usually think about the sounds that make up words. But when we read, the letters of the alphabet tell us which sounds are in the word we are reading. The alphabet is like a secret code, where the letters are the clues that tell us what the word is. To crack the code, first we need to think about the sounds we use to talk. Let’s start thinking about the word sun. How many sounds does it have? What are they?

Blending

Sun has three sounds. Say each one as slowly as you can: ssssssssss… uhhhhhhhhhh… nnnnnnnnnn… Then say them faster: sss… uhhh… nnn Now say them really fast: sun Can you feel how you put the sounds together into a word by smooshing them together? This is called blending.

Can you hear how ace is face without the fff sound? Let’s try taking away the first sound from some other words… What is hat without the hhh sound? What is mad without the mmm? What is sick without sss?

Letters

Now that we have thought about sounds, we’re going to think about the connection between sounds and letters. Basically, letters make sounds. You already know a lot of the sounds different letters can make. In some words every letter makes exactly one sound. For example, in sun , every letter makes a different sound. There are three letters and three sounds. Which letter makes which sound?

s u n

Vowels

Vowels are really important because every word has at least one vowel. Remember, there are only five letters that always make vowel sounds: a, e, i, o and u. The letter y is sometimes a vowel. Here are some pictures of words that have one vowel letter. Each word has a different vowel sound. First say all of the words. Then figure out the vowel sound in each one and say just that sound.

bed^ bus

pot

bat

sick

There are only five vowel letters, but there are a lot more than five vowel sounds in English! Since we don’t have enough letters, we have to use combinations of letters to make some of the sounds. That’s why there are lots of words that have one vowel sound but two vowel letters. Each picture on this page is of something with a different vowel sound. Even though most of these words have two vowel letters, they all only have one vowel sound. First say the words and then say just the vowel sound in each word.

spoon coin bone

bee cook

cake bike

All of the different vowel sounds have something in common: they are the loudest sound in the word. Think about when you sing. Try singing the word man. (If you don’t like to sing, you can just call it out really loud.) First try holding the note on the mmm part at the beginning:

mmmmm an

Now try holding the nnn part at the end:

ma nnnnnnn

That’s not how you normally sing, is it? No! When you really want to sing out, you hold the note on the vowel. Try it!

m aaaaa n!

For more practice with vowels, do the Vowel Matching worksheet.

Long & Short Vowels

The tricky thing about vowels is that every vowel letter — a, e, i, o and u — can make more than one sound. When a vowel letter is in the middle of a three-letter word, it makes a short vowel sound_._ The short vowel sounds are the hardest ones to hear. Listen for them in these words: The long vowel sounds are easier to remember because they are the same as the names of the vowel letters: a, e, i, o and u.

nut

pig hop

net

hat

Long & Short E

The long-e sound is the same as the name of the letter: e. It’s the vowel sound in feet and bee. Short-e is the vowel sound in net and bed. What is the sound?

Long & Short I

By itself, long-i is the word you use to talk about yourself: I. It is also the vowel sound in dice and dive. Short-i is the vowel sound in itch and lip.

Long & Short U

Long-u is the vowel in cube and puke. Short-u is the vowel in duck and gum.

Actually, long-u can make two different sounds. In cube and puke , the vowel sounds the same as the name of the letter: u. But in some words, long-u just sounds like ooo. Can you hear the difference between you and ooo? The long-u sound is ooo in tube and tune.