Long /a/, Long /i/

The long /a/ sound is pronounced like the letter 'A' in words such as 'cake', 'make', and 'rain'.

Yes! The word 'train' has a long /a/ sound.

The long /i/ sound is pronounced like the letter 'I' in words such as 'bike', 'like', and 'time'.

Yes! The word 'kite' has a long /i/ sound.

Common spelling patterns for long /a/ include 'ai' as in 'rain', 'ay' as in 'play', and 'a_e' as in 'cake'.

Common spelling patterns for long /i/ include 'igh' as in 'high', 'i_e' as in 'like', and 'y' as in 'cry'.

A vowel digraph is two vowels that together make one sound, like 'ai' in 'rain'.

A silent 'e' is an 'e' at the end of a word that makes the vowel before it say its name, like in 'cake'.

A vowel is long if it sounds like its name, like 'A' in 'cake' or 'I' in 'bike'.

Long vowels sound like their name, while short vowels do not. For example, 'a' in 'cat' is short, but 'a' in 'cake' is long.