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Long Vowel Worksheets

11 free PDFsUS Letter or A4Answer key includedNo login

A long vowels chart and word list, long or short sorts, picture hunts for long a, e, i and o, a which-spelling page, matching and sentences.

Download the long vowels worksheets

Long vowels chart and word list

Hear long and short vowels

Sound pages: say each picture's name and listen for the vowel. The sort comes as cut and paste and as a no-cut page.

Read and spell long vowel words

Print at 100% (actual size) for the cleanest tracing lines.

About these long vowels worksheets

A long vowel says its own name: the a in cake, the e in tree, the i in kite, the o in boat and the u in cube. Short vowels sound different: cat, bed, pig, dog, bug. Hearing the difference comes first, and then children learn the different ways each long vowel is spelled, such as a_e, ai and ay for long a.

These long vowel worksheets start with a chart that shows the common spellings for every long vowel, and a word list for reading practice. Children then sort pictures by long or short vowel (cut and paste or no-cut), hunt for the long a, long e, long i and long o pictures, choose the right spelling of a long vowel word, match words to pictures and read long vowel words in sentences.

For more practice with one spelling at a time, see the silent e worksheets and the vowel teams worksheets. All pages print in black and white on US Letter or A4, with answer keys on page 2.

Standards

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.2.ADistinguish long from short vowel sounds in spoken single-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.CKnow final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.BDecode regularly spelled one-syllable words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.1.2.DUse conventional spelling for words with common spelling patterns and for frequently occurring irregular words.
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.4.CUse context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.

How to use them

  1. Start with listening. Say pairs like cap and cape, or pin and pine, and have your child tell you which has the long vowel.
  2. Use the long or short sort and the picture hunts. These are about the sound, so say every picture's name together first.
  3. Show the chart and point out that one sound can have several spellings. Then use the which-spelling page and the sentences.

Teaching tips

  • Teach children to listen for the letter name: if the vowel says its name, it is long.
  • Mark long vowels with a straight line (a macron) and short vowels with a little smile (a breve) when you write words on the board. It helps children see the difference.
  • When a child picks the wrong spelling, like rane for rain, praise the long a they heard, then show the spelling the word uses. Both spellings are logical; only one is right for that word.
  • A y at the end of a short word can say long i (my, fly). An e at the end of a short word can say long e (me, we, he).

Questions teachers and parents ask

What is a long vowel?

A long vowel is a vowel that says its own name: a as in cake, e as in tree, i as in kite, o as in boat and u as in cube.

How are long vowels spelled?

The most common spellings are silent e (cake, kite, bone, cube), vowel teams (rain, day, tree, leaf, boat, snow, night), and a vowel at the end of a short word (me, go, hi).

What is the difference between long and short vowels?

Short vowels are the sounds in cat, bed, pig, dog and bug. Long vowels say the letter's name. The same letter can make both: hop has a short o and hope has a long o.

When do children learn long vowels?

Children learn to hear long and short vowels in kindergarten and learn to read and spell the common long vowel patterns in 1st grade.

Are there answer keys?

Yes. Every page with right answers has an answer key on page 2.