Long Vowel Words Teaching Resources

Teach long vowel words with a host of printable worksheets, phonics games and more activities created by teachers for teachers like you!

Aligned with both TEKS and the Common Core ELA Curriculum, the resources in this extensive vowels collection provide everything you need to map out your lesson plans on long vowels — from word study lists about specific vowel sounds to interactive digital activities that will help students differentiate between long and short vowel sounds.

New to teaching this part of the ELA (or ELAR) curriculum, or just looking for new ways to engage your students? Read on for a primer from our teacher team!

What Are Long Vowel Sounds? A Kid-Friendly Definition

How do you explain the meaning of a long vowel to young students who are just beginning their decoding journey? Here's a kid-friendly definition that young students can understand:

A long vowel sound is like pronouncing the vowel's name as part of a word.

For example, when the letter "a" in the word "cake" is pronounced, it sounds just like the letter itself — "aaa." That's a long vowel sound.

Where Do You Find Long Vowel Sounds?

The English language is full of words that have long vowel sounds hiding in them. Teaching kids some of places where they can be found will help them decode the words they encounter as they learn to read.

Here are just a few places those long vowels might show up:

1. In Words That End in the Letter "E"

The e at the end of a word is sometimes called the "magic e" because of its ability to make these special sounds! In these words, the tricky "e" is silent, so it won't be pronounced.

Here are a few examples of long vowel words with a magic E:

• Take
• These
• Mice
• Toe
• Cute

2. In Vowel Teams

When two vowels appear side by side in a word, it often means the word will be pronounced with the long vowel sound of the first letter. Here are a few examples of vowel teams at work:

• AI in "train"
• OA in "boat"
• UE in "blue"
• IE in "pie"

3. In Open Syllables

When a word or syllable ends with a single vowel, it's called an open syllable. That vowel usually makes a long sound.

For example:

• Go in "go"
• Be in "be"
• Mu in "music"

4. In Words With a Vowel + the Letter R

There are many words in the English language that pair a vowel and the letter R, making a long vowel sound.

For example:

• AR in "cart"
• ER in "her"
• IR in "bird"
• OR in "pork"
• UR in "hurt"