Vowel Digraphs

A vowel digraph is two letters making one vowel sound in a word. We also call it a vowel team. The vowels are a, e, i, o and u. Y can help make a vowel sound in ay and oy. Nearby vowel letters do not always form a team. Ask a helper to read unfamiliar words and choices aloud.

Ai and ay can make long a. Ai is usually inside a word, as in mail. Ay is usually at the end, as in hay. Find the long a sound, then check where it comes. These patterns help you choose a spelling, but they do not cover every word. Check an unfamiliar spelling with a helper.

For these activities, use the vowel sounds in put and blue as models for two oo sounds. Took uses the put vowel, often called short oo. Room uses the blue vowel, often called long oo. Listen to the vowel itself, not how long you hold it. If your accent differs, ask a helper to model these sounds.

Oi and oy can make the same vowel sound. Hear it in coin and toy. Oi is usually inside a word; oy is usually at the end. To choose between these spellings, listen for the sound and check its place. These are usual patterns, not rules for every word.

Ee and ea often make long e, like the name of e: green and pea. Oa and oe can make long o, like the name of o: road and doe. Find the pair, say its sound in that word, then blend with the other sounds. Use these pairs when spelling words that need them.

To count vowel teams, find each pair once: ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, oe, oo, oi or oy. Weekday has ee and ay: two teams. A vowel by itself is not a pair. Drum has one u and no vowel team. Check every part of a longer word before you finish counting.