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San Jose City College

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Sound-Spelling Correlation with Vowels

Vowel sounds correlate with spelling patterns in commonly used words with some regularity. Vowels with more than one common spelling pattern are covered in the table below.

Symbols for Vowel Sounds

Spelling Patterns

Lists

/ey/ as in say

bay rain lane eight

Spelling patterns for the Long vowel /ey/ as in say:

_ay	_ai-	_a_e	_eigh_
may pay stay play tray lay Irregular: obey convey	raid pain plain train haze amaze strain afraid complain refrain contain terrain	tame came place plane sane/insane made fade change arrange	neighbor weigh/weight sleigh freight beige

/iy/ as in me/be

fee seat cede siege seize

Spelling patterns for the Long vowel /iy/ as in me or be:

-ee-	--ea--	_e_e	-ie-	-ei-
feet meet greet leek street need seed creed creek succeed proceed indeed freeze Irregular: key /ski monkey donkey trolley	read bean freak fear heal meal hear peace please tease appear appease lease grease leave leaf congeal	cede concede recede compete	believe belief grieve grief niece piece siege	ceiling seize leisure weird

/ay/ as in my

sky site high lie

Spelling patterns for the Long vowel /ay/ as in my:

_y	-_i_e--	_igh	_ie	_ei
sky fly try cry fry spy sty apply supply comply deny style	kite site mile file tile time crime dime lime line fine while	high light fight fright flight tonight plight tight sight might mighty	pie tie lie die	Irregular: height

/ow/ as in no

know pole coal toe sew

Spelling patterns for the Long vowel /ow/ as in no:

_ow	_o_e	_oa_	_old	_oll /_trol	Other spellings
slow snow tow stow throw know	hole whole stole pole dole console sole slope code node stove drove tome dome home strode connote electrode	coat boat boast coast soak soap toad road toast roast loaf loaves goat float	old told mold hold cold fold untold	troll stroll toll contol patrol	toe sew ghost most almost

/uw/ as in two/to/too

do cool rule new

Spelling patterns for the Long vowel /uw/ as in two/to/too:

_oo_	_u_e	_ew	Other spellings
tool pool stool cool fool moon soon spoon noon school noodle doodle toot scoot scooter	rule mule mute commute nude rude crude lute cute flute astute institute	tame came place plane sane/insane made news mew few flew screw stew steward pew	sue true truth shoe suit uncouth in lieu of lieutenant

/ε/ as in set

pet led end cent head

Spelling patterns for /ε/

_ed; _et	_end; ent	_ea_	Other spellings
fed led red bed bled sped pet net let bet met	end bend send lend tend trend intend contend attend defend commend recommend rent tent bent sent dent content relent repent consent	head dead lead tread instead bread	said friend edge ledge hedge dredge fence defense consensus dense density pence recompense

/ as in awe

awful hall caught bought loft boss

Spelling patterns for /

_aw_	_all / _alk	_au_/_aught	_ought	Other spellings
awe jaw saw paw law flaw gnaw hawk slaw dawn lawn awning awful guffaw awesome awestruck awkward	all call ball stall fall hall mall wall tall talk walk chalk balk stalk	laud sauce fraud fraudulent pause cause applaud applause nautical caught taught haughty naughty daughter	cough thought bought sought wrought fought nought	boss toss moss gloss across hog bog log fog soft loft often

/aw/ as in now

town out

Spelling patterns for /aw/ as in now

_ow_	_ou_
how now brown cow town frown clown renown down rowdy	out about scout tout mouth ounce round pound found bound bounce trounce proud cloud aloud scoundrel flounder flout doubt trout renounce announce

// as in nut

fun ton money mother

Stressed // is usually spelled with the letter u as in cut

hut, nut, strut, stun, fuss, must, trust, funny, combust, adjust, abundant

Other spellings with "o":

love, above, son, mother, brother, money, honey, one, once, ton, month, southern

schwa /

/ as in above--like the sound "uh", or "i" as in Inuit or respond.

The schwa is the unstressed, unclear vowel in multisyllabic syllables and articles.

English language learners often don't hear the schwa, or unstressed vowel. It is an unclear, short syllable spoken with low pitch, making it difficult to detect. There is no single sound-letter correlation for the schwa. All of the vowels in the table below appear in unstressed syllables. Even native speakers resort to guessing when it comes to the spelling of the schwa. In multisyllabic words, note how the schwa comes between longer syllables, giving rhythm to English. Note also that suffixes always have reduced vowels.

Spelling patterns for the schwa /

/ or "uh"

unstressed A	Unstressed E	Unstressed I	Unstressed O	Unstressed U
above around alike affect abundant afraid afford accord advice harass harangue lavatory laboratory inappropriate contradiction management inseparable desireable photography anniversary	effect especially expose escape endearing embarrass embargo employ example honest scenery acknowledge Vietnam defend deny reply liquefy linen orchestra juvenile	register organization origin original pacify liquid orchid purify specify ability tranquility responsible irresistible compatible communicate annhilate anniversary	onion /yn/ bunion union battalion connect commute concern condemn connotation propose protect promote canopy philosophy psychology philanthropy antrhopology photography analogy accommodate innovate contagious	inundate curriculum custodian minus minuscule inocculate census consensus suspicion suspend succeed submit suppose suppository

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