Vowel Sounds – Definitions Examples Exercise

Learn Types of Vowel Sounds with definition, examples, and solved exercises of each. The sounds of vowels are very important because the use of indefinite articles (a, an) depends on vowel sounds, not vowel letters.

In this article, we will learn in-depth the definitions, examples, and exercises of the vowel sound. 

Types of Vowel Sounds with Definitions, Examples, Exercise

There are four types of vowel sounds in English:

1. Short Vowel Sounds

“e, i, u” are called short vowel sounds. They are called short vowels because their sound is shortened while uttering. On the other hand, we can say that we consume very less time in pronouncing such vowel sounds.

Examples

Tick, men, sit, fit, but, cut, bet, let, get.

Short Vowel Sounds of “e”

hen, den, men, pen	bed, led, red, wed	net, jet, pet, wet	egg, keg, leg, peg
bell, fell, well	tent, dent, sent	nest, rest, vest	neck, deck, peck

Short Vowel Sounds of “i”

big, dig, fig	tin, bin, fin	kid, lid, mid	nib, bib, rib
lip, pip, sip, tip	kit, hit, lit, pit, sit	dish, wish, fish	bill, hill, mill, pill
kick, lick, pick, wick	ring, king, sing, wing	link, sink, wink	wig, pin, zip

Short Vowel Sounds of “u”

sun, bun, gun, run	tub, cub, hub, rub	hut, cut, nut	pup, cup
bud, mud	mug, jug, rug	jump, bump, dump	duck, suck, buck

2. Long Vowel Sounds 

“a, o” are called long vowel sounds. They are long vowels because we have to prolong them while uttering. Unlike short vowel sounds, we can say that we consume comparatively more time in pronouncing such vowel sounds.

Examples

Bat, rat, sad, not, joke, etc.

Long Vowel Sounds of “a”

bat, cat, mat, rat	bag, rag, tag, wag	tap, cap, gap, map	tank, bank, sank
dad, lad, pad, sad	van, can, fan, man	jam, dam, ram	lamp, camp, ramp
ball, tall, hall, wall	band, hand, sand	sack, back, pack	rack, hat

Long Vowel Sounds of “o”

mop, cop, top	cot, dot, pot	log, dog, jog	lock, rock, sock
ox, box, fox	stop, frog, drop	crock, frock, owl	stock, sock, bot

3. Diphthongs

A complex vowel that begins with the sounds of one vowel and ends with the sound of another vowel in the same syllables, is called diphthongs. For example, ae, au, ou. 

The Sound [ei] as in RAY

rate-late-kate	fate-race-base	place-same-same	rage-age-wage
cable-table-able	cradle-range-change	baby-bacon-paper	basis-lazy-crazy

The Sound [ai] as in RIDE

ride-nice-ice	life-file-smile	line-fine-quite	rise-prize-wise
final-minus-crisis	climate-bicycle-horizon	idea-ideal-identity	find-kind-mind

The Sound [au] as in HOW

how-cow-now	allow-owl-brown	loud-proud-cloud	found-ground-around
out-shout-about	towel-bowel-Powell	power-tower-flower	shower-coward-Howard

The Sound [oi] as in BOY

noise-voice-avoid	poison-join-coin	point-boil-foil	oil-spoil-toil
joy-toy-boy	annoy-employ-destroy	loyal-royal-voyage	oyster-destroyer-employer

The Sound [ou] as in NO

role-bone-phone	stone-close-note	notice-lonely-home	hope-open-ocean
go-ago-no	hero-zero-veto	solar-polar-modal	total-motor-moment

4. Weak Vowels

The weak vowels are confined(limit) to weak, unstressed syllables. E, i, y are considered weak vowels when they occur in unstressed syllables as under:

Coffee

toffee

audio

video

city

valley

happy

The underlined vowels in the given words are weak vowels as they are uttered unstressed. You can also consult this for further comprehension.

Summary of Types Vowel Sounds

Vowel Sounds 

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