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Vowel Sounds

Short, Long, Schwa and R-Controlled Vowels

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VOWEL REVIEW

This review rap covers all four main types of vowel sound: SHORT vowels (quick sounds), LONG vowels (saying their alphabet name), the SCHWA (the lazy "uh" in unstressed syllables), and R-CONTROLLED vowels (where Bossy R changes the sound). A great song for reviewing all vowel types together.

One Word for Each Vowel Type

SPELLING WORDS

Short vowels (quick sound)

cat bed sit hop bug

Long vowels (say the letter name)

cake feet kite rope

Schwa (lazy "uh" sound)

sofa panda lemon

R-controlled / Bossy R

barn bird corn

Spelling Word List

15 words covering all four vowel sound types: short, long, schwa, and R-controlled.

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The Four Vowel Types

HOW IT WORKS
A E I O U: Four Ways Vowels Can Sound
Short
Vowels say their quick sound: /a/ /e/ /i/ /o/ /u/.
Examples: cat, bed, sit, hop, bug
Long
Vowels say their alphabet name: /ay/ /ee/ /eye/ /oh/ /you/.
Examples: cake, feet, kite, rope
Schwa /ə/
Vowels get lazy and say "uh" in unstressed syllables.
Examples: sofa, panda, lemon
Bossy R
R changes the vowel sound: ar, er, ir, or, ur.
Examples: barn, bird, corn

Every vowel in every English word fits into one of these four categories. When you can identify which type you are dealing with, you can work out how to say: or spell: the word.

Tips for Vowel Sounds

IMPORTANT TO KNOW
Things that can trick you
vowel teams

Two vowels together can make a long vowel sound (like AI in rain, EE in feet, OA in boat). These are called vowel teams or digraphs. They are still "long" vowels: just spelled with two letters.

same letter, different sounds

The same vowel can make different sounds in different words. The letter A can be short (cat), long (cake), schwa (sofa), or R-controlled (car). Context and spelling patterns tell you which one to use.

silent E rule

A magic E at the end of a word often makes the vowel before it long: cap → cape, bit → bite, hop → hope. This is one of the most common ways long vowels are spelled in English.

Lyrics

Vowel Sounds Rap: Short, Long, Schwa and Bossy R

Are you ready? To review the sounds of the vowels! Here we go.

CHORUS

Let's review the vowel sounds in this song.
Vowels can be short and vowels can be long.
Vowels can be lazy: that's called the schwa.
Vowels can be controlled by R.

VERSE 1: SHORT VOWELS

A E I O U: short vowels!
A E I O U: short vowels!
A E I O U: short vowels!

VERSE 2: LONG VOWELS

A E I O U: long vowels!
A E I O U: long vowels!
A E I O U: long vowels!

CHORUS

Let's review the vowel sounds in this song.
Vowels can be short and vowels can be long.
Vowels can be lazy: that's called the schwa.
Vowels can be controlled by R.

VERSE 3: THE SCHWA

Uh... uh... uh... uh... lazy vowels!
Uh... uh... uh... uh... lazy vowels!

VERSE 4: BOSSY R

Uh... uh... uh... or... er... er... Bossy R!
R: or... er... er... Bossy R!
R: or... er... er... Bossy R!

CHORUS

Let's review the vowel sounds in this song.
Vowels can be short and vowels can be long.
Vowels can be lazy, that's called the schwa.
Vowels can be controlled by R.

OUTRO

A... E... I... O... U...
A... E... I... O... U...
U... U... U... U...
U... or... er... er...

Mr. Spelling! Mr. Spelling, bye-bye.