Phonics #8

The main focus of this section was the difference between vowel phonemes. There are three main variations: dipthongs, vowel digraphs, and vowel pairs. Even though, like the majority of the English Language, there are exceptions to the rule, typically a vowel phoneme will follow one of these three patterns.

Dipthongs are single vowel phonemes represented by a combination of two sounds that glide together.
While there are only two symbols (oi and ou), the four different combinations are:
-oi/oy such as oil, moist, oyster
-ou/ow such as owl, cow, house


The difference between a dipthong and a vowel digraph is a digraph is a two letter grapheme that only makes makes one sound or  phoneme.
-oo such as food, goose, soon
-oo such as hook, foot, took, wood

Some tips: oo such as stool has a flat line above it and a stool is flat, and oo as in hook has a curve above it just like the shape of a hook.

Also, I noticed as I was saying the words aloud, the oo digraph such as food and goose causes your lips to purse and the sound is in the front of your mouth. On the other hand, the oo digraph as in hook is more in the back of your throat.

The only other vowel combinations are called vowel pairs, these vowel pairs are:
ai (rain), ay (play) ea (each), ee (keep), oa (boat)

Typically the rule to follow is that the first vowel is a long vowel and the second vowel is silent.
Exception - ie: makes the long e sound - believe, field, niece


Remembering these rules will help us decipher how and when to pronounce the different vowel sounds.

Fox, B. (2010). Phonics and structural analysis for the teacher of reading. (10 ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.