Flashcard on Vowels and Consonants

Front

What is a vowel?

Back

A vowel is a speech sound in many languages that is typically produced without any significant constriction of the airflow in the vocal tract. In English, the vowels are A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes Y.

Front

What is a consonant?

Back

A consonant is a speech sound that is produced by obstructing the airflow in some way. In English, consonants include all letters except for the vowels A, E, I, O, U.

Front

What is a consonant blend?

Back

Two or more consonants whose sounds flow smoothly together, such as 'bl' in 'black' or 'str' in 'street'.

Front

What is a vowel team?

Back

A combination of two vowels that together make one sound, such as 'ea' in 'team' or 'ai' in 'rain'.

Front

What is an open syllable?

Back

A syllable that ends with a vowel sound, where the vowel is usually long, such as 'he' or 'go'.

Front

What is a closed syllable?

Back

A syllable that ends with a consonant sound, where the vowel is usually short, such as 'cat' or 'dog'.

Front

What is a base word?

Back

A word part that has meaning and can stand alone, to which affixes can be added, such as 'play' in 'playing'.

Front

What is an affix?

Back

A morpheme that is added to a base word to change its meaning, including prefixes (added to the beginning) and suffixes (added to the end).

Front

What is a diphthong?

Back

A complex vowel sound that begins with one vowel sound and glides into another within the same syllable, such as 'oy' in 'boy'.

Front

What is a syllable?

Back

A unit of pronunciation that has one vowel sound, with or without surrounding consonants, such as 'cat' (1 syllable) or 'happy' (2 syllables).