In English spelling, each vowel letter can be pronounced with a different sound, They are only five vowel

letters, but they are more vowel sound. What is a vowel? It is a sound in which there is a continuous vibration of the vocal cords and the airstream is allowed to escape from the mouth in an unobstructed manner, without any interruption. How do we distinguish the different vowel sounds? Vowel sounds can be distinguished from each other by WHICH PART of the tongue is involved(front, central, back) and by HOW HIGH the tongue is when the sound is produced (high, mid, low)

Tongue heighT

ALPHABET VOWEL SOUNDS

Sometimes vowel letters are pronounced like their letter names. These sounds are called the alphabet vowel sound. The alphabet vowel sound are pronounced with a small change in the sound at the end

This change is called the off- glide.

RELATIVE VOWEL SOUNDS Vowel letters are not always pronounced with their alphabet vowel sounds. Often a vowel letter is pronounce with a relative vowel sound. This sound is related to the alphabet vowel sound but, it has different sound and there is no off- glide

EXAMPLES FOR ALPHABET VOWEL SOUNDS

A /ey/

E /iy/

I /ay/

O /ow/

U /uw/

pain

feed
see steam leaf

lime
file bite ride

phone
goal coat froze

suit
prumes dues use

mail rain train

The Two Vowel Rule If there are TWO vowel letters in a one- syllable word: 1. The first vowel letter is pronounced with its alphabet vowel sound 2. The second vowel letter is silent

EXAMPLE FOR RELATIVE vowels

/ae/
pat hat zack thanks Sam

/
Ben Bed Pen Pencil Betty

/I/
Jim His Bill Finish Kitty

/a/
Tom Hot Pot Jhon Lock

//
Bus Sun Supper Fun Gum

Combination of vowel sounds involving a movement from one vowel sound to another like /ei/ as in late