Long vowels reference sheet — every common spelling on one page
English spells each long vowel sound several different ways, and to a six- or seven-year-old that looks like chaos. It mostly is not. Which spelling a word uses depends largely on where the sound sits in the word — and once a child can see that, choosing between ai and ay stops being a guess.
This sheet puts all five long vowel sounds on one page: each common spelling, the position it usually takes, example words, and the small groups that have to be learned as exceptions.
One page, Letter or A4. Choose “Save as PDF” in the print dialog to keep a copy.
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Long Vowels Reference Sheet
The same sound, spelled different ways. Find the sound, then ask: where does it sit in the word?
The position rule. At the end of a word: ay, ow, ew, ue, y. In the middle: ai, oa, ea, oo. Middle or end: ee, igh. A consonant then a silent e: a–e, e–e, i–e, o–e, u–e. It works most of the time, not every time.
Long a — /ay/
| Spelling | Where it usually sits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| a–e | consonant, then silent e | cake, name, made, gate |
| ai | middle of a word | rain, train, paint, mail |
| ay | end of a word or syllable | day, play, stay, away |
| Rarer | eigh (eight, weigh, sleigh) · ey (they, obey) · ea (break, steak, great) | |
Long e — /ee/
| Spelling | Where it usually sits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| ee | middle or end | tree, see, feet, sleep |
| ea | usually the middle | beach, dream, clean, eat |
| y | end of a longer word | happy, sunny, candy |
| e–e | consonant, then silent e | these, theme, complete |
| Rarer | ey (key, monkey, honey) · ie (field, chief, piece) · e alone (he, she, we, me, be) | |
Long i — /igh/
| Spelling | Where it usually sits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| i–e | consonant, then silent e | time, bike, kite, ride |
| igh | middle or end, often before t | night, light, right, high |
| y | end of a short word | my, by, fly, sky |
| ie | end of a short word | pie, tie, lie |
| Rarer | i alone before ld or nd (child, wild, find, kind) | |
Long o — /oa/
| Spelling | Where it usually sits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| o–e | consonant, then silent e | home, hope, bone, stone |
| oa | middle of a word | boat, road, coat, soap |
| ow | end of a word | snow, grow, yellow, window |
| Rarer | oe (toe, doe, hoe) · o alone (go, no, so, old, cold, most) · ough (though, dough) | |
Long u — /yoo/ or /oo/
| Spelling | Where it usually sits | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| u–e | consonant, then silent e | cute, cube, use · rule, June, flute |
| oo | middle of a word | moon, food, soon, spoon |
| ew | end of a word | few, grew, flew, chew |
| ue | end of a word | blue, true, glue, rescue |
| Rarer | u alone (music, unicorn) · ui (fruit, juice) | |
Words that break the pattern — learn these as tricky words: said, again (ai says /e/) · have, give, live (short vowel) · come, some, done, none, love (o says /u/) · head, bread (ea says /e/) · cow, now, how (ow says /ow/)
How to use the sheet
As a spelling prompt. When your child is stuck on how to spell a word, do not spell it for them. Ask three questions: what sound are you trying to spell, which spellings can make that sound, and where does the sound sit in the word? Then let them find the row.
One sound at a time. Fold the sheet, or cover the rest, and work on a single long vowel for a week or two. Most children can hold one or two patterns in mind at once, not fifteen.
Teach the common spellings before the rare ones. The top rows of each table do most of the work. The “rarer” line is there so that eight or field has somewhere to belong when it turns up — a small named group, not a failure of the rule.
Praise the sound, then fix the spelling. A child who writes plai for play heard the sound correctly and picked a real spelling of it. “That does say play. At the end of a word we use ay.”
The articles behind the sheet
- Why English spells the same sound so many ways — where the spellings came from
- Every way to spell the long /a/ sound, with word lists
- The /ee/ sound — every spelling, with word lists
- The /oa/ sound — every spelling, with word lists
- Magic e vs vowel digraphs — same sound, different spelling
- How to help a child choose the right spelling — the four-step framework this sheet supports
Worksheets for each pattern
- The Magic E Pack — all five split digraphs (a–e, e–e, i–e, o–e, u–e)
- Vowel team worksheet packs — ai/ay, ee/ea, oa/ow, oo, oi/oy and au/aw
- Long vowel phonics worksheets — one single-page sheet per spelling
- Magic E Exceptions sheet — the words that look like magic e and are not
Common questions
What age is this for?
Roughly six to eight — after magic e, when children start meeting two or three spellings of the same sound and need a way to choose between them.
Why do u–e, ew and ue have two sounds?
They can say /yoo/ as in cute and few, or /oo/ as in rule and grew. Which one depends on the word, and in a few words on your accent. Children pick it up from hearing the words; it does not need teaching as a rule.
Is the sheet free to print?
Yes — for home, classroom, and tutoring use.
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