{"id":2170,"date":"2023-05-31T09:05:25","date_gmt":"2023-05-31T17:05:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.abcmouse.com\/learn\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2026-04-27T14:11:01","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:11:01","slug":"what-are-vowels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abcmouse.com\/learn\/advice\/what-are-vowels\/2170","title":{"rendered":"What Are Vowels? Definition, Examples & Types (For Kids)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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What Are Vowels? Definition, Examples & Types (For Kids)<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

A strong understanding of vowels can boost reading skills. Get insights on long and short vowels, vowel teams, the ‘Schwa’ sound, and more. <\/h4>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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By The ABCmouse Editors<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reviewed by Dr. Nika Fabienke<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Contents<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
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What are Vowels<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Are the 5 Vowels?<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vowels Vs. Consonants<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Are Vowels Special?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short Vowels Vs. Long Vowels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Teach Short Vowels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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How to Teach Long Vowels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What About Y?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vowel Teams<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Schwa Sound<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

R-controlled Vowels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

ABCmouse & Vowels<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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What are Vowels?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vowels are letters that represent open speech sounds made when air flows freely through the mouth.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the English alphabet, vowels are essential because they form the core sounds in most words and help connect consonants to create readable speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Are the 5 Vowels?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The five vowels in the English alphabet are A, E, I, O, and U<\/strong>. Each vowel can make more than one sound, including short vowel sounds<\/strong> (as in apple<\/em> or cat<\/em>) and long vowel sounds<\/strong> (as in acorn<\/em> or cake<\/em>). Learning to recognize these vowel sounds is an important step in early reading development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes the letter Y<\/strong> can also act as a vowel, depending on how it is used in a word.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Vowels Versus Consonants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The alphabet is made up of 26 letters, five of which are vowels: A, E, I, O,<\/em> and U. <\/em>The other 21 letters, such as B, C, D, F, T, <\/em>and Z<\/em>, are called consonants. Vowel sounds are made with an open vocal tract<\/strong> (air flows freely). Consonant sounds are made with some obstruction<\/strong> (lips, tongue, teeth).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Try this:<\/strong> Say the letter A <\/em>and hold the sound for five seconds. Notice how nothing needs to move to make the sound. Now say the sound for the letter B<\/em> (“buh”). Your lips come together to block air to make the sound.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Why Are Vowels Special?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vowels act as key building blocks to most words, making it essential for children to fully understand the sounds each vowel makes and how those sounds can change. Learning the basics and nuances of vowels can deepen your child’s understanding of phonics<\/a> (the relationship between letters and the sounds they make), phonemes (distinct units of sound in a language), decoding<\/a>, and ultimately help to improve their literacy and spelling skills. <\/p>\n\n\n

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What are Vowels?<\/strong> Vowels are letters that correspond to speech sounds made when air flows freely through the mouth, without being obstructed by the tongue, lips, or throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Short Vowels Versus Long Vowels<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vowels can make two distinct sounds\u2013a short vowel sound and a long vowel sound. The ability to identify when a word uses a short or long vowel sound takes practice and is a milestone in growing literacy skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Are Short Vowels?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Just as their name suggests, short vowel sounds are quicker to say and represent shorter letter sounds. When a single vowel occurs between consonants, it is often the short vowel sound. This is common in CVC words (like cat), though English has exceptions.<\/em> Here are a few examples of words using short vowel sounds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n