Short vowels are the vowel sounds in words that are not pronounced the same as the letter name. These sounds are usually found in simple words with a single vowel followed by one or more consonants.
Short vowels usually appear in words with a consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) pattern, like cat or pen.
The short a sound is like the /ă/ in apple. It is a quick, open sound often found in CVC words.
Practice saying the /ă/ sound by opening your mouth wide and keeping it short.
The short e sound is like the /ĕ/ in egg. It is a quick sound often heard in middle vowel positions.
The /ĕ/ sound is sometimes tricky. Say it quickly without letting it sound like /ā/.
The short i sound is like the /ĭ/ in insect. It is a quick sound made with a relaxed mouth.
Be careful not to stretch the /ĭ/ sound. Keep it short and crisp.
The short o sound is like the /ŏ/ in octopus. It is a round, open sound often used in CVC words.
Think of the /ŏ/ sound as short and round, like saying “ah” quickly.
The short u sound is like the /ŭ/ in umbrella. It is a soft, relaxed sound.
The /ŭ/ sound is very short. Be sure not to change it into a long /ū/ sound.
When reading, look at the middle of words with one vowel. Often, these words use the short vowel sound. Spotting short vowels helps with accurate reading and spelling.
Underline or highlight the vowel in a word when practicing. Say the sound quickly, then read the full word.