Long And Short Vowel Sounds List! A vowel is a sound produced by the vocal cords without any obstruction of the mouth, lips, or tongue. The English language has 12 different vowel sounds, which are distinguished by their shape, position, and manner of production.
Vowels can be further divided into two categories: monophthongs and diphthongs. Monophthongs are vowel sounds that are produced with a single articulation of the vocal cords, while diphthongs are produced with a combination of two different vowel sounds.
While all 5 vowel sounds are equally important in the English language, some are more commonly used than others. For example, the most common monophthong in English is /e/, which is found in words like “bed” and “ten.” The most common diphthong is /ai/, which is found in words like “time” and “white.”
What are Short and Long Vowel Sounds?
In English, there are two types of vowel sounds: short and long. Short vowel sounds are usually made when the vowel is followed by a single consonant sound, as in the words “cat,” “bed,” and “hot.” Long vowel sounds, on the other hand, are usually made when the vowel is followed by two consonant sounds, as in the words “cake,” “beam,” and “hope.”
The length of the vowel sound can also be affected by the position of the stress in a word. For example, the word “record” is stressed on the first syllable, so the vowel sound is short. In contrast, the word “present” is stressed on the second syllable, so the vowel sound is long. As you can see, understanding short and long vowel sounds can be helpful in pronunciation.
List of Short and Long Vowel Sound Words
Short ‘A’ Vowel Sound Words
- bag
- dagger
- map
- had
- lad
- tan
- vat
- has
- tab
- dan
- ran
- saddle
- atlas
- cab
- pam
- lab
- van
- jam
- tap
- bandit
- fan
- ram
- apt
- lap
- zap
- hat
- tad
- cat
- factory
- nap
- cap
- hammer
- pan
- act
- lag
- yam
- fad
- january
- rat
- actor
- ask
- man
- gas
- sat
- bad
- camel
- mat
- active
- gap
- sam
- gab
- sad
- album
- bat
- mad
- dad
- pad
- panic
- gal
- sag
- jab
- tag
- dab
- pal
- rabbit
- ham
- sap
- fat
- ladder
- rag
Long ‘A’ Vowel Sound Words
- basin
- snail
- agent
- basic
- game
- main
- pay
- play
- acorn
- lay
- name
- faint
- snake
- shake
- stain
- alien
- mane
- sway
- basin
- cane
- stay
- fade
- waist
- acorn
- insane
- data
- lame
- ray
- bake
- pain
- cake
- chain
- apron
- lane
- pray
- maid
- sail
- basic
- plane
- agent
- day
- same
- fail
- fatal
- laid
- tail
- shade
- wait
- aim
- data
- make
- vain
- alien
- kate
- strain
- fatal
- flame
- tray
- fake
- paint
- apron
- fame
- hay
- claim
- made
Short ‘u’ Vowel Sound Words
- bud
- rug
- jut
- plum
- pun
- crumb
- jug
- dug
- grub
- cud
- sun
- nut
- nun
- fun
- shrug
- pup
- lug
- bug
- rut
- but
- sub
- pug
- duck
- gum
- bun
- rub
- drum
- hug
- bus
- rum
- Gus
- luck
- gut
- muck
- bum
- run
- cut
- sum
- hum
- tuck
- mug
- cup
- tug
- hut
- thumb
- buck
- gun
- slug
Long ‘u’ Vowel Sound Words
- commute
- duty
- dew
- excuse
- music
- pew
- secure
- new
- pure
- huge
- minute
- fuel
- tribute
- barbecue
- bugle
- mature
- accuse
- knew
- unicorn
- cute
- route
- student
- confuse
- stew
- pollute
- uniform
- duel
- evolute
- jute
- nephew
- unit
- flute
- sue
- acute
- union
- hue
- use
- dilute
- human
- argue
- mule
- ensue
- tune
- cupid
- glute
- cube
- execute
- fuse
- issue
- refuse
- tissue
- resolute
- tube
- cure
- value
- due
- mute
Short E Vowel Sound Words
- bet
- Ferry
- pen
- ten
- Weapon
- net
- Sweat
- Bread
- hen
- Echo
- gem
- set
- red
- hem
- Ready
- vet
- peg
- Spread
- Deck
- den
- Elbow
- fed
- Ted
- keg
- Steady
- ben
- yet
- Deaf
- men
- beg
- wet
- led
- Threat
- Heavy
- leg
- bed
- wed
- Egg
- get
- let
- Pleasure
- pet
- gel
- Pencil
- Measure
- met
- Breath
- jet
Long E Vowel Sound Words
- beet
- delight
- become
- mean
- these
- greet
- conceive
- sheet
- brief
- keen
- bean
- evening
- bead
- theme
- bleet
- dean
- decide
- gene
- beat
- field
- deceit
- seam
- lean
- portuguese
- need
- happy
- teen
- fleet
- glory
- heat
- lead
- seat
- feet
- relax
- meat
- receive
- sleet
- recess
- meet
- mischief
- neat
- feed
Short O Vowel Sound Words
- lot
- dog
- hog
- top
- don
- tot
- not
- mom
- got
- god
- odd
- jog
- dot
- lop
- mob
- hot
- bop
- pop
- jot
- cot
- sod
- log
- con
- pot
- cod
- rod
- lob
- mop
- cog
- rot
- fog
- nod
- cop
- Tom
- bog
- pod
Long O Vowel Sound Words
- dough
- lobe
- hotel
- snow
- soap
- coal
- boat
- coat
- elbow
- envelope
- yoga
- total
- wardrobe
- goat
- hollo
- quote
- toast
- adobe
- window
- row
- though
- rose
- toe
- hope
- doe
- robe
- scope
- probe
- roe
- mope
- pope
- globe
- swallow
- although
- note
- cope
- oval
- poach
- meadow
- wrote
- elope
- float
Short I Vowel Sound Words
- kin
- fig
- his
- sip
- zip
- fin
- sit
- nip
- lid
- him
- wit
- gig
- win
- bin
- pin
- hit
- fit
- tin
- kid
- kit
- hid
- big
- pit
- hip
- dig
- rip
- jig
- bit
- rim
- dim
- rid
- jib
- lit
- did
- rig
- gin
- tip
- lip
- dip
- sin
- bid
- pig
Long I Vowel Sound Words
- kite
- wide
- guide
- time
- slide
- die
- slight
- align
- fight
- dime
- kind
- apply
- design
- dine
- iron
- mind
- mite
- tide
- bright
- might
- shine
- like
- shy
- irate
- sight
- mine
- bite
- silent
- hike
- mike
- pilot
- site
- knight
- light
- fine
- find
- deny
- sign
- hide
- bike
- pie
- tie
