1 1.
Vowel [I] and
Vowel
[I:]
Spelling frequency
Short [I]
1
2
3
4
5
6
i,
im
y, ry, ty,
ui
e
ie
Some word samples
fit, bit, important, myth, build, pretty, sieve, hit, him, inquiry, circuit, scene, lieutenant, ship, impossible country, biscuit decline, police, liberty, irritate, exception women, fruit, Venetian, busy suit "y" can produce the long vowel sounds of "i", "e" and "a". It also can make a short "i" sound, e.g. "gym". Vowel Spelling frequency 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Long [I:]
ee
ea
ie
ei
y
e
ine
eo
Some word samples
see, sheep, sleet, be, me,
sea, beat, meat
relieve, belief,
receive,
key
Exception
bread, thread, steak near,
scene, machine people equal,
eight, neighbour, weight, sleight, freight sleigh,
Note: 1. The letter “i” has two main ways of saying it (pronunciation): a) The letter “i” appearing in one syllable words usually is short, e.g. hit, fit, fill, fulfill; b) When a word must be read long, the letter “i” usually is read as “ai”, e.g. time, fine, lime. These words usually carry the letter “e” at the end of the word and you do not need to read out this letter “e”, hence they are known as silent “e” ending words. How Should you spell, read and write: ie and ei You Can Remember these quick tricks. a. The spelling of a word has the vowel letters “ie” coming together, they usually make the long [I : ]: example: relieve, relief, reprieve, seize. b. Write “ei ” if a word has the letter “c ” comes in front of them, like: receipt,
receive, ceiling, deceive, conceive; and they often make the long [I:] sound but can make other sounds too. c. You are to read the letter “ei” in eight, neighbour, weigh, sleigh, freight, etc, as diphthong [ei] – the way American people say the letter “a”. d.
Try this: "What is the weight of the freight on car number eight?"
Prepared by Han Kwai Yow for lessons in 2011
2
some exceptions:
-ealth health death wealth
Short [I] it ei kick weird, kin kiss -eath neither, lick breath either, vomit stealth forfeit, nausea counterfeit, lid -ear protein, lift near link foreign, lip -eer sovereign, list deer lit leisure, milk heifer, mill miss sleigh mitt mix sleight, nip height, pick big feisty, pill seismograph, pin pink Exceptions: resist rich ie rid diet, rig hierarchy, rim science, rip society, shift variety, ship cried, die, sink dried, fried, sip hie, lie, pie, sit tried, hire, six skin more skip exceptions: slick ie active friend, determine lieutenant, irritate orient, infinitive Prepared by Han Kwai Yow for 2011
Long dizzy dream cheap dusty cheat duty beach each cheek east cheep cheese easy eat chief believe neat berries need bleach niece Ninety bleak only brief brownie parties party any pea babies peach baby seal be seam bead seat beak see beam seed bean seek beat beauty seventy sheep beach sheet bean shield clean cookies shiny county shriek siege cream creep daddy daisy deal deed deep
[I:]
-ui biscuit build circuit cuisine guilt quick quilt Exception --ui cruise cruiser fruit juice recruit sluice --ui fluid ruin ---if “n” or “s” or “t” come in front of “ui”, you read it as [ju:]. nuisance suicide suit tuition Exception: suite [swi:t]
--int print, hint mint winter vintage --irr irrational irresistible, irrigate irritate
Added in 2013 Words sounded short e [ɪ] spelled as i:
e i
belie forfeit pretty bellicose filibuster lyric lyrics lugubrious privilege shiver shivery tragic*
-ib
words ending in –ic or –ics bib crib glib fib jib nib rib
-ich
chicanery inch cinch clinch finch flinch pinch rich which
-ick
brick chick click crick cricket flick kick lick nick pick picket prick quick sick slick tick ticket thick trick slick stick wick
-id
accident bid did forbid grid hid kid lid mid rid skid slid squid valid
-if
cliff fifth gif gift if lift miff riff shift shrift short shrift sniff stiff thrift tiff whiff
-ig
big brig dig fig gig jig pig prig rig sprig swig twig wig zig
-ique
technique antique boutique critique mystique
-ill
bill chill dill drill fill frill gill grill hill kill mill pill rill sill spill still thrill till trill twill will
-ilt
filth filthy gilt gilt-edged hilt jilt kilt lilt silt up silt stilt wilt milk silk
-im
blimp brim chimp crimp dim grim him important improve import limb limber limbo limp pimp primp pimple prim primp rim trim skimp slim swim timber trim whim
-in
begin bin din chin fin gin grin in include infinitive infinite infusion inn invent kin pin shin sin skin spin tin thin twin win within
-ing
being bing bring cling ding fling king ping ring sing sling sting spring string swing thing wing wring zing
-inge -ink
binge cringe fringe hinge singe tinge blink brink click cling clinic clink clip drink fink ink kink link mink pink rink sink slink stink think wink zinc
-int
glint hing lint mint print splint sprint squint stint tint
-ip
blip chip clip crisp dip drip flip grip hip lip nip pip quip rip tip trip ship sip skip slip snip strip trip whip yip zip
Added in 2013
-is
bliss is disk his hiss fist kiss list mitosis* miss sis this
-ish
words ending in –sis bristle [ɪbrɪs(ə)l], epistle [ɪɪpɪs(ə)], gristle [ɪɡrɪs(ə)l], thistle [ɪθɪs(ə)l/], whistle [ɪwɪs(ə)l] bishop churlish dish fish swish wish
-isque
bisque beautique physique risqué
it
admit it bit city fit hit kit knit lit mitt nit permit pit remit sit skit slit slither slithery spit split submit transmit whit whiz wit with
-itch
glitch itch ditch hitch pitch stitch witch
-ive
active* give live relive river rivet
-ix
most words ending in –ive riven fix mix six
-y
baby crystal cylinder gym myth oligarchy oxygen syllable
-izz
frizz
-ie
sieve view
-ei
forfeit forfeiture counterfeit
-et
basket market ticket racket
-ui
biscuit [ɪbɪskɪt] build [bɪld] built [bɪlt] circuit [ɪsɪˈ(r)kɪt] distinguish [dɪɪstɪŋɡwɪʃ] equip [ɪɪkwɪp] equipment [ɪɪkwɪpmənt] guilt [ɡɪlt/] liquid [ɪlɪkwɪd/] marquis [ɪmɑˈ(r)kwɪs] quiche [kiˈʃ] quick [ɪkwɪk] quickly [ɪkwɪkli] quit [kwɪt] quilt [kwɪlt] quiver [ɪkwɪvə] quiz [kwɪz] quins [kwɪnz] quin [kwɪn] quint [kwɪnt] quintuplet [kwɪnɪtjuˈplət] quintessential [ɪkwɪntɪɪsenʃ(ə)l] quintet quilts quince [kwɪns] quintets [kwɪnɪtet/] squid [skwɪd] squint [skwɪnt]
-istle
acquire [əɪkwaɪə] quiet [ɪkwaɪət] quite [kwaɪt] require [rɪɪkwaɪə] prerequisite [priˈɪrekwəzɪt/] bruin [bruˈɪn] druid [ɪdruˈɪd] fluid [ɪfluˈɪd] ruin [ɪruˈɪn] suicide cuisine tuition fruit [fruˈt] fruitful fruitless gluing [ɡluˈ] nuisance [ɪnjuˈs(ə)ns] suit [suˈt] spacesuit pantsuit jumpsuit suitcase
Added in 2013
-y
antonym bicycle Byzantine [bɪɪzæntaɪn] cylinder cymbal cynical cyst gym gypsy hymn mystery myth nymph rhythm sycamore [ɪsɪkəmˈˈ(r)] syllable syllabus symbol symmetry sympathy symphony symposium symptom synonym synthesis synthetic syphilis syringe sysop system typical typify
-ey
alley chimney chutney [ɪtʃʃtni] donkey galley hockey honey jockey kidney Mickey money monkey parsley valley volley woman
-o
English words with ea in the spelling that read as long e [I:]. The diphthong ea in English could be read in 6 ways: (i) as long [I:]; (ii) as short [e]; (iii) as diphthong [eI]; (iv) as diphtong [IE]; (v) as diphthong [eE]; and (vi) as long [E:]. The last three being members of r-control words.
Words spelled ea in a close syllable word (usually stressed), read as long [I:] would have the following words. -ea
pea sea tea flea plea beacon beaver creature eager eagle feature heathen meager measles reason seaman seamen season treacle treason weasel
-each
beach bleach breach each leach peach preach reach teach
-ead
impeach overreach pleach preachy bead lead read knead plead
-eaf
leaf sheaf overleaf
-eague
colleague league
-eak
beak bleak creak freak leak peak speak sneak squeak streak teak tweak weak
-eal
deal heal meal peal real really seal squeak squeal steal teal veal zeal
-eam
appeal ordeal reveal conceal congeal beam cream dream gleam ice-cream ream seam scream steam stream team bloodstream crossbeam daydream downstream eyebeam mainstream moonbeam upstream
-ean
bean clean dean glean Jean lean mean wean
-eap
heap leap reap cheap
-ease
cease crease disease decrease ease grease increase lease please queasy release tease appease decease unease
-eash
leash squeamish,
-east
beast east Easter feast least yeast
-eat
beat bleat cheat cleat defeat eat feat heat meat neat peat pleat repeat retreat seat treat treaty wheat
-eath
beneath breathe heath sheath wreath
-eave
cleave heave leave sheave weave
-ear
beard clear dear dreary ear fear gear hear near nearby rear sear shear smear spear tear theatre theatre weary year appear
-ear bear pear wear grotesque picturesque baroque pique torque plaque
1 2.
Vowel [e] = [Z], and [A]
Vowel
Spelling frequency 1
2
3
4
Short [e]
e
ea
ai
any
Some word samples
bed, bend, men, went
head, bread, steak,
said, says
any, many
Vowel
Long [A]
Spelling frequency 1
2
3
4
a
ai
and
-ave
Some word samples
fan, man, plaid sand, have, pan. band, rave, brake hand 1. Words with the letter “e” in the spelling and read as short [e]; but words with these letters “-er, -ere. -ew, -ey” in its spelling are to be read differently. 2. A word contains the spellings of “ea” but read as [e]; compare with the group of exceptional words under long [I:: ]. Some of these words end with -ead in the spelling. 3. English words that carry the sound [A] mostly have the letter “a” in the spelling. Other words that have the letter “a” but read differently are dealt with separately in other section.
More on ea dead [ded] adj. feather ['feTE] n. head [hed] n. heavy ['hevi] adj. instead [in'sted] adv. leather ['leTE] n. pleasant ['pleznt] adj. pleasure ['pleVE] n. sweat [swet] n. sweater ['swet] n. thread [Wred] n. threat [Wret] n. weather ['weTE] n. break [breik] v. great [greit] adj. steak [steik]
-ealth health death wealth -eath breath stealth
-a any many -ai said
Han Kwai You revised for 2013
-eck deck heck neck peck check fleck speck wreck
-edge hedge ledge wedge pledge sled sledge dredge
-ed bed fled led shed red sled wed bled fed Ted Sped Shred
-ext next text
-eg peg beg keg leg
-ept kept swept crept slept wept
-ength length strength
-ess bless stress mess press dress less
-est best nest pest rest
-esh flesh fresh mesh
-eft left cleft theft
-etch fetch sketch wretch
2
bad [bAd] adj. bag [bAg] n. band [bAnd] n. bang [bAN] n. fact [fAkt] n. jam [dVAm] n. map [mAp] n. rag [rAg] n. tap [tAp] n. cat [kAt] n.
aeaeroplane aerodrome aegis aeon aesthete ['i:sWi:t] --aff chaff staff aff— after, craft, draft, graft, shaft, waft,
--ash cash ash, bash, crash, dash, gash, hash, lash, mash, rash, sash, brash,
-arr arrow ['Arow] n. carrot ['kArot] n. carry ['kAri] v. marrow ['mArou] n. marram ['mArEm] n. marriage ['mAridV] n. married ['mArid] adj. narrow ['nArou] adj. --ass ass, bass, trass, crass, lass, mass, sass, trass Exception -ass class glass grass brass
Tongue twister: All the eggs are on the bed.
Han Kwai You revised for 2013
-ack back, lack, tack, pack, quack, sack, crack, black, stack, track, knack, shack,
1
Words ending in the letter “e” – known as silent “e”
a-e
o-e
i-e
i-e
u-e
care cake take make lake late hate made save place blaze stale tape page game safe save brake blazer
home smoke hope joke complete stone more note nose coke code dose robe froze toe stove come some done gone noise choice
bribe bride chide dice hide die died dies scribe lice ride lie lied lies knife tribe rife wife strife stride
spike smile grime vine hide pike vile crime Mike tile chime nine fine mile lime file dime dine
goose snooze groove choose include truce rule lose true noodle mute tune tube
recipe abalone catastrophe apostrophe
Except foreign words (non-English origin words), when you see or use words ending in the letter “e”, and the letter “e” is silent, and the preceding vowel letter is read long in its own name, e.g. "take", "scene", "spike", "home", "mule". The exceptions are usually foreign words.
2
Be careful when you add a suffix to a word which ends in -e. Sometimes you need to keep the -e, sometimes you need to drop it. It all depends on which suffix you use. hope + ing = hoping (With -ing, you need to drop the -e) hope + ful = hopeful (If the first letter of the suffix is a consonant, you need to keep the -e) Remember, a, e, i, o and u are vowels. All the other letters are consonants. Something to laugh about:
• When living in Kuala Lumpur, I notice that a pizza comes to your house faster than an ambulance. • The most difficult thing to open is a closed mind. • Never be too open-minded. Your brains might fall out.
Designed by Han Kwai Yow Revised in 2011 3. Vowel [Q]
and [B:]
Vowel
Spelling frequency
Short [Q]
u
o
o-e
ou
oo
ongue
Some word samples
cup, up, just, us, lust, lucky
son, won, love,
done, does, hope,
touch, tough, enough,
blood, flood,
tongue
* other words with “ou” in the spelling; but read differently. Vowel
Spelling frequency
Long [B:]
ar
a
ear
augh
er
Some word samples
bar, car, park bark, farther,
father,
heart
laugh,
clerk, sergeant
un-unable unaffected uncertain undone unfair unjust unlucky uninformed exception: universal university union
--urr hurricane furrier currency current currant hurrah furrow burrow turret -urry curry hurry --urry furry bury
u except ur bun cup but cut dull Dutch gull hull lunch rubbish suffer vulgar exception: bull full pull push put
Words sounded [ʌ], spelled ou:
ou double [ˈdʌb(ə)l], couple [ˈkʌp(ə)l], couplet [ˈkʌplət], country [ˈkʌntri], cousin [ˈkʌz(ə)n], courage [ˈkʌrʌdʌ], discourage [dʌsˈkʌrʌdʌ], enough [ʌˈnʌf], encourage [ʌnˈkʌrʌdʌ], encouragement [ʌnˈkʌrʌdʌmənt], flourish [ˈflʌrʌʌ], nourish [ˈnʌrʌʌ], rough [rʌf], touch [tʌtʌ], tough [tʌf], trouble [rʌb(ə)l], young [jʌŋ],
Designed by Han Kwai Yow Revised in 2011
--ar arch barn dart jar part star Arctic car far lard party start ark card farm large scar starch arm cart garden march scarf tar art warfare smart
bar chart harm mart smart yarn bark dark harp park spark harbour parcel Mark charge guard mark shark target tart artist charm hard farther marsh sharp yard exception: war [wR:] ward [wR:d] warm [wR:m] warn [wR:n] warp [wR:p] wart [wR:t]
--alf calf [kB:f] half [hB:f] --alves calves [kB:vz] halves [hB:vz] --alm alms [B:mz] almond ['B:mEnd] balm [bB:m] calm [kB:m] embalm [im'bB:m] palm [pB:m] --ask task ask basket ['bB:skit] flask mask --ance advance chance dance France glance lance
-ass class glass grass brass --ast blast cast fast ghastly last mast nasty past nasty past plaster *bastard *drastic *plastic
--aff chaff [tFB:f] n. quaff [kwB:f] v. staff [stB:f] n. --aft abaft [E'bB:ft] prep. after ['B:ftE] adv. aircraft ['ZEkrB:ft] n. craft [krB:ft] n. draft [drB:ft] n. graft [grB:ft] n. haft [hB:f t] n. raft [rB:ft] n. shaft [FB:ft] n. waft [wB:ft] v.
Prepared by Steffen Han Revised 2010 4. Vowel [R]
and [R:]
Vowel
Spelling frequency
Short [R] Some word samples
o
an
dog, cot, hot, pot,
want, wander
ough
o-e
ost
cough, trough, gone, shone, ought
cost, frost, hostile, exception roster, ghost, most, host, post, postage,
Vowel
Long [R:]
or
ore
oar
orn
aw
au
our
ough
augh ar
all
oor
a
Some word samples
for, port, nor,
before, core, bore, shore,
roar, board
worn, torn
law, awful
author, sauce,
course, mourn
bought, cough, thought,
caught, war taught,
all, tall, mall, exception: shall.
door, floor
water, wash, watch, watt,
exception: aunt, draught, draughty gauge, laugh,
Prepared by Steffen Han Revised 2010 Most single syllable word with spelling
--an swan, “o”could wan, be read as wand, Short [R] wander, wanigan, Exception want, wanton, comb [koum] exception: front wane, [frQnt] wangle won [wQn] some [sQm]
al-almost, already also alternate although altogether always
--orch porch torch scorch
--orm dorm, form, norm, from, storm
--ord cord, ford, lord, chord, sword --ork cork, fork, pork, stork,
exception Albert album alcohol alcove algebra allegory altitude alkali
--orn born corn, horn, morn, torn, worn, scorn, sworn, thorn,
--alk balk talk walk chalk stalk --alt halt, salt, malt, -ault fault vault
--our four pour,
--aunch haunch, launch, paunch, staunch, --aunt daunt gaunt haunt jaunt taunt flaunt
-awl bawl, brawl, crawl, drawl, scrawl, shawl -awn dawn fawn lawn brawn yawn pawn prawn
-long bong, dong, long, song, tong, prong, strong, wrong, --oss boss loss moss toss cross floss gloss
--oth moth, broth, cloth froth, sloth, exception: both
2009 Revised 5. Vowel [u]
and [u:] [U]
Vowel
Spelling frequency 1
2
3
4
Short [u]
oo
u
ou
o
Some word samples
look, cook, book, good, wood, cookie,
full, pull, put, bush, push,
could, would, should,
woman,
Vowel
5
6
Spelling frequency 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Long [u:]
oo
u-e
ew
ou
ui
o
oe
eau
Some word samples
root, balloon, moon, roof, spoon, etc.
rude, blue
grew, brew, chew, brew, blew, crew, drew, flew knew, few, etc.
soup, croup, group
fruit, suit, juice,
do, to, who, move
shoe
beauty, beautiful
you,
2
--uce [ju:] ; [ju:s] deduce induce introduce produce reduce seduce
--ew few, new, mew pew, knew dew view
you – yet – yes – use – union – university – usual – amuse – tube – endure – beauty – onion – opinion – million5mIljen genuine-
--uth Ruth Truth All these words come --uke with the letter duke “c”, “d”, “h”, puke “r”, and “sp” fluke in front. They read [ju:].
5dʒ enjuIn genius[5dʒ I:nIEs]
Januarry[5dʒ ænjuərI] Febuary [5februErI]
“Two
--ue [u:] blue clue flue flute glue grue rue slue sprue
-ui biscuit build circuit cuisine guilt quick quilt --ui cruise cruiser fruit juice recruit sluice --ui fluid ruin
exception: argue continue cue due fuel hue rescue spew value
-- if “n” or “s” or “t” come in front of “ui”, you read it as [ju:].
These words look alike, but they don’t sound alike. 1. book, foot, good, hood, look, stood, wood 2. aloof, boom, doom, gloom, soon, bloom, broom, noon, proof, roof, zoom 3. floor, door 4. flood, blood 5. moor, poor,
nuisance suicide suit tuition Exception: suite [swi:t]
new balloons flew to the moon at noon.”
Prepared by Mr Han Kwai Yow for English Class
2009 Revised 6. Vowel [E]
3
and [E:] [E]
Alphabet letter and spelling
a
word sample
[E:] attention
above, away, about, among, awake, aware, America, Malaysia, China, etc
Alphabet letter and spelling
ir
girl, shirt, sir, bird,
ur
fur, furl, curb, curd, turn, her, herb, term, pearl, earth, early, were,
er ear ere wor
Prepared by Mr Han Kwai Yow for English Class
word sample
work, word, worth,
attention
sword,
The Sounds of English Language
1
The English Diphthongs
[ei] Alphabet letter and spelling
a-e ai
word sample
[ai] attention
cake, late, pale, make, made, rain, aisle mail, straight, wait,
Alphabet letter and spelling
i-e i, ign, ind
a
paper, Australia, table,
y, ye, eye
ay
day, say, pay, play, Malaysia rein, skein,
igh
eight, weigh, they, grey great, break
uy
ei
eigh ey ea
ie
ai
word sample
[Ri] attention
Alphabet letter and spelling
mine, time
oi
wife, kind, find, sign, align, science my, by, sky, style, dye, eye high, sight, height die, pie, height, either, neither buy
oy
aisle, daï
This Table is prepared by Han Kwai Yow, revised in 2010.
word sample
attention
join, choir point, oil, noise joy, Joyce, annoy, oyster
The Sounds of English Language
2
[EU] Alphabet letter and spelling
o-e o
oa oe oax ow ou au
word sample
note, home, bone, wrote, over, open, so, no, go, post, roll, goes, toes, boat, coat, road, load, goal, coal, goes, toes,
[aU] attention
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
ow
bow, now, cow, crown,
ou
thousand, loud, flower, out,
ough
hoax, coax, shown, know, sow, bow, tow soul, dough, mauve
This Table is prepared by Han Kwai Yow, revised in 2010.
bough
attention
[iE] Alphabet letter and spelling
ear/ea(r) eer ier
word sample
[ZE] attention
fear, near, ear, dear, year, hear, here, beer, deer, steer, cheer, engineer, volunteer, pier, tier, fierce,
ere
hemisphere, mere, here, sincere,
eir ea
weir,
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
air are
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
chair, air, fair, hair
our
care, share, square, shared, swear, wear, bear, year
ere
where, there,
uel
eir
their
ear there, stereo, ceremony, were,
[uE]
beard, idea, ideal, real,
ea ie ar ae
area variety wary aeroplane
attention
[RE]/[R:] attention
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
tour, your, gourd
oor
poor, door, floor
oor
poor, door
our
pour
ure
pure, lure, cure, endure cruel, fuel
oar
roar
ore
wore, ore
er
drawer
attention
The Sounds of English Language
4
English Triphthongs
[auE]
[RE]/[R:] Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
attention
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
our, hour, sour, scour, flower, power, tower,
[aiE] attention
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
ire
fire, hire, admire
iar
liar
oor
poor, door, floor
our
our
pour
er
oar
roar
er
buyer, higher, flier,
ore
wore, ore
io
er
drawer
oi ui iro
lion, riot, pious choir
This Table is prepared by Han Kwai Yow, revised in 2010.
quiet, iron
attention
The Sounds of English Language
4
English Triphthongs
[auE] Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
our
our, hour, sour, scour, flower, power, tower,
er
[aiE] attention
Alphabet letter and spelling
word sample
ire
fire, hire, admire
iar
liar
er
buyer, higher, flier,
io
lion, riot, pious choir
oi ui iro
This Table is prepared by Han Kwai Yow, revised in 2010.
quiet, iron
attention
