• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • 1
    CommentGo Back
Download
 
Talk
a
Lot
Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Spelling and Sounds – Vowel Clusters
For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! 
Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com
18.48
A vowel cluster is a group of two or more vowel letters together in a word that represent asingle vowel sound. For example, in the word “r
oa
d”, “oa” is a vowel cluster that representsthe sound
L]rL
, whilst in the word “sh
oe
”, “oe” is a vowel cluster that represents the sound
LìWL
. In the same way, “ar” in the word “c
ar
”, is a vowel cluster that uses a silent “r” to helpmake the vowel sound
L^WL
. The reason we have vowel clusters is simple: there are 23different single vowel sounds (vowel phonemes) in spoken English, but only 5 single vowelletters in written English. We need vowel clusters to represent in spelling all of the differentvowel sounds. For example, the letter “a” on its own can make the sound
LôL
whensandwiched between two consonant sounds, for example in the word “c
a
t” – 
LâôíL
– but thereis no single letter which can make the very common vowel sound
=LìWL
, as in “tr
ue
”
LíêìWL
. Wehave to use a vowel cluster – in this case “ue” – to represent this sound on paper.Vowel clusters can occur anywhere in a word – at the beginning (initial), as in “
ou
t”; in themiddle (medial), as in “pl
ea
se”; and at the end (final), as in “tr
ue
”. Focusing on vowel clustersand consonant clusters (see p.18.39) is useful if you want to look at some of the differencesbetween spelling and sounds in English words. (See also Rhyming Words, pp.18.19-18.28.)Vowel clusters can be divided into
eight
categories:1. Vowel Digraphs2. Vowel Trigraphs and Quadgraphs3. Vowel Clusters that end with “-r”4. Other Vowel Clusters with “r”5. Vowel Clusters with “w”6. Vowel Clusters with “y”7. Vowel Clusters with “gh”8. Vowel Clusters with Other Consonant LettersWhat follows is a comprehensive list of vowel clusters, with the sounds that they represent,grouped by letter in alphabetical order.
(Note: you may wish to add your own examples in the space provided.)
1. Vowel Digraphs Vowel digraphs are two vowel letters together in the spelling of a word that represent a singlesound (one vowel phoneme). For example, in the word “m
ea
t”, “ea” is a vowel digraph thatrepresents the sound
LáWL
, whilst in the word “m
ee
t”, “ee” is a vowel digraph that also standsfor the same vowel sound:
LáWL
. This kind of thing can lead to a lot of confusion betweenspelling and sounds in English!
digraph: sounds like: for example: my example(s): 
ai
LÉfL==
p
ai
d, w
ai
t, f
ai
l
,
p
ai
nt, g
ai
n ______________________ ai
LÉL==
s
ai
d, ag
ai
n
 
 ______________________ au
LlWL==
fr
au
d, p
au
se,
au
tumn,
Au
gust ______________________ 
 
Talk
a
Lot
Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Spelling and Sounds – Vowel Clusters
For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! 
Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com
18.49
au
L^WL==
l
au
gh, l
au
ghter ______________________ ea
LÉfL==
br
ea
k, st
ea
k, gr
ea
t
 
 ______________________ ea
LáWL==
r
ea
d, app
ea
l, l
ea
d, cl
ea
n, l
ea
f, st
ea
l __________________ ea
LÉL==
r
ea
d, br
ea
d, dr
ea
mpt, d
ea
d, dr
ea
d ___________________ ee
LáWL==
wh
ee
l, p
ee
l, kn
ee
l, h
ee
l
 
 ______________________ ei
LáWL==
rec
ei
ve, dec
ei
ve, rec
ei
pt ______________________ ei
LÉfL==
r
ei
n, v
ei
n
 
 ______________________ eo
LÉL==
l
eo
pard, L
eo
nard
 
 ______________________ eu
LlfL==
Fr
eu
d
 
 ______________________ ia
L~f]L==
v
ia
l
 
 ______________________ ie
L~fL==
t
ie
, d
ie
, l
ie
, p
ie
 ______________________ ie
Lf]L==
f
ie
ld, y
ie
ld, w
ie
ld
 
 ______________________ ie
LáWL==
activit
ie
s, bel
ie
ve, ach
ie
ve ______________________ ie
L~f]L==
var
ie
ty
 
 ______________________ io
L]L==
stat
io
n, complet
io
n, rat
io
n ______________________ iu / 
f]L==
val
iu
m, ted
iu
m, rad
iu
m
 
 ______________________ oa
L]rL==
oa
k, f
oa
m, l
oa
f, encr
oa
ch, r
oa
d ______________________ oa
LlWL==
br
oa
d, abr
oa
d
 
 ______________________ oe
LìWL==
sh
oe
 ______________________ oe
L]rL==
t
oe
,
=
h
oe
, w
oe
, f
oe
, g
oe
s ______________________ oe
L¾L==
d
oe
s, d
oe
sn’t
 
 ______________________ oi
LlfL==
av
oi
d, v
oi
d, c
oi
n, t
oi
let
 
 ______________________ oo
LìWL==
sch
oo
l, t
oo
l, f
oo
l, ch
oo
se ______________________ oo
LrL==
g
oo
d, b
oo
k, t
oo
k, r
oo
k, h
oo
d ______________________ oo
L¾L==
bl
oo
d, fl
oo
d
 
 ______________________ oo
L]rL==
br
oo
ch
 
 ______________________ ou
L~rL==
s
ou
nd, l
ou
d, pr
ou
d, r
ou
nd, h
ou
se ____________________ ou
LìWL==
r
ou
te, y
ou
, s
ou
p, gr
ou
p
 
 ______________________ 
 
Talk
a
Lot
Learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Spelling and Sounds – Vowel Clusters
For more fun worksheets, games and quizzes log onto www.englishbanana.com now! 
Talk a Lot Elementary © English Banana.com
18.50
ou
L]L==
fam
ou
s, jeal
ou
s, oner
ou
s ______________________ ou
L
fl
L==
c
ou
gh, tr
ou
gh ______________________ ou
L¾L==
r
ou
gh, en
ou
gh, t
ou
gh ______________________ ue
LìWL==
bl
ue
, tr
ue
, s
ue
______________________ ue
LÉL==
g
ue
ss, g
ue
st
 
 ______________________ ue
Lr]L==
f
ue
l, p
ue
rile, d
ue
l
 
 ______________________ ui
L~fL==
g
ui
de, g
ui
dance
 
 ______________________ ui
LìWL==
 j
ui
ce, br
ui
se
 
 ______________________ ui
LfL==
b
ui
ld, b
ui
lding, g
ui
lt ______________________ Most of the vowel sounds of English (18 out of 23) are represented by these 18 differentvowel digraphs. The sounds not represented are:
LôL
,
LáL
,
L‰WL
,
LÉ]L
,
L~r]L
. The last threesounds are represented by vowel clusters that use “r” (see below).2. Vowel Trigraphs and QuadgraphsIt is possible, though fairly uncommon, to find more than two vowel letters together in anEnglish word. A group of three letters that make a single sound is called a
trigraph 
. Forexample:
trigraph: sounds like: for example: my example(s): 
eau
L]rL==
b
eau
,
eau
de toilette
1
 
 ______________________ eou
L]L==
outrag
eou
s, contag
eou
s ______________________ iou
Lf]L==
industr
iou
s, harmon
iou
s, ted
iou
s ____________________ A group of four letters that makes a single sound is called a
quadgraph 
. For example:
quadgraph: sounds like: for example: my example(s): 
ueue
LìWL==
q
ueue
 ______________________ 3. Vowel Clusters that End with “-r”The “r” in the spelling helps to make the single vowel sound. Note: the consonant sound
LêL
 is not pronounced.
1
 
in loan words from French
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
heartasylum01

Hi my flatmate and I are confused with the correct spelling of the word contagious/contageous. Since in the Webster dictionary it is spelled with the "i". Can you give us more reference.

reply10 / 22 / 2009
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...