37 long and short vowels in english what is the real difference between them

Vowel length is a way of talking about the different vowel sounds that a person can make when dealing with a single letter. It refers to how long it takes to say that sound.

The typical rule is that long vowels say their name. In English, the vowels are all named after one of their longer sounds. In the word ‘note’, the O is pronounced like its name and sounds like ‘oh’. That means it has a long vowel sound. The word ‘not’, on the other hand, has more of an ‘ah’ sound, which is the short O. The ‘oh’ sounds longer than the ‘ah’, which is why it’s considered the long O.

However, some letters have more than two sounds. The word ‘amalgamation’ has four of the letter A, but only two of them are pronounced the same way. While the second and fourth have the normal long and short A sounds – the second being the short A, and the fourth is the long A – the first and third have an ‘uh’ sound. The ‘io’ at the end of the word also has an ‘uh’ sound.

When a vowel has more than two possible sounds, it makes sense to compare them by saying which one is longer. For instance, while the rounded ‘ah’ sound is considered the short O sound, it is still longer than the short A, which is a flat ‘ah’. Specifying how much longer one sound is can help to distinguish them when explaining how to pronounce the vowels in a written word. This is especially important because of English pronunciation rules.

There are no rules that apply for every single word, without exception, in the English language. For one thing, many English words were originally loanwords. French and Latin were major contributors to the language and a lot of words were taken from them. The problem is that the Italic languages have a different way of pronouncing what they write than Germanic. What makes that worse is that there are a few cases where the spelling of the word was taken, but not the pronunciation. Another complication is the various accents in English. For example, Americans would probably pronounce the word ‘can’t’ with a short A sound, while someone speaking Received Pronunciation English would use the short O sound.

With all that in mind, pronouncing a word based on how it is spelled can be tricky. One of the more obvious rules is that the vowel is long when there is a silent E on the end. Like above, ‘not’ and ‘note’ have different vowel pronunciations. However, the E on the end of ‘note’ is not pronounced. It is just there to show how the O is said. When there is a silent E on the end of a word, it is a good bet that the vowel just before it is a long vowel.

Similarly, there are times when more than one vowel is stacked together, such as in ‘ceiling’. When there is more than one vowel together, it is much more likely that both of them join together to form a long sound. There are still exceptions to that, like in ‘science’. Both vowels are pronounced there. When the double vowel begins with A or E, then they are much more likely to say their name.

Overall, English is a confusing language and sometimes it’s very difficult to match spellings with pronunciations. This is why vowel length is specified for some words.

To summarize, vowel length is based off of the perceived length of the vowel sound. In English, all vowels are named after their long sound, so the long vowels say their names. The rest of the time, they are shorter sounds, but they can cover more than one short sound.

«Long» Vowels And «Short» Vowels

Some remarks from different posters in recent days suggest that it’s time to discuss again the conflict between two different meanings of «long» and of «short».
When we were in elementary school, the teacher taught us that the «a» in «rake» was «long a» and the «a» in «rack» was short «a». And the vowels in «peek», «pike», «poke», «root» were long while the vowels in «peck», «pick», «pock», and «rut» were short.
There is another meaning for each of «short vowel» and «long vowel», and it’s the one phoneticians are most likely to have in mind when they use those terms. That is, a short vowel is one whose duration is short, and a long vowel is one whose duration is long. That is the meaning of «long» and «short» that corresponds to the presence or absence of a colon after a vowel in the International Phonetic Alphabet.

I’ve read that there is a connection between the two concepts, in that the vowels that are now referred to by elementary school teachers as «long» and «short» were indeed long or short in duration when the words were applied to them. In modern English, the vowel in «peek» may be pronounced with relatively long duration or relatively short duration, but it’s still a high front vowel. And the vowel in «pick» may be pronounced with either long or short duration without making it anything but an near-high, near-front vowel.
It would be good if everyone would avoid using the terms «long vowel» and «short vowel» as we learned them in elementary school, saving them to describe actual relative duration.

The use of macron or breve over a vowel to mark it as «long» or «short» gives us only a limited number of vowel symbols. If we accept for the sake of the discussion the number of vowels in English as given at

In the traditional system, an with a macron can represent not only the diphthong /oU/ but also the simple vowel in words such as «order» and «galore.» See, for example, the pronunciation in The Century Dictionary for that last word. If we accept that usage that is, that an with a macron in front of an represents /Or/ and we accept /ju/ as a vowel separate from /u/, then the highest number of vowels that that can be represented by the
macron-for-long-vowel-breve-for-short-vowel system is thirteen. That leaves at least seven which must be represented in some other manner.

Long and Short Vowel Differences and Examples

If you’re just learning to read English, you may have noticed something very strange about the written language. Unlike many languages that have consistent rules for pronunciation, a lot of English words that use the same letters are pronounced differently. This is especially true with English vowels: the words “man” and “mane” are pronounced differently, while the words “mane” and “main” are pronounced the same. Why is that?

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In this article, we’ll go over the basic rules of long and short vowel pronunciation in English, as well as the best way to make sure you always get the pronunciation right whenever you learn a new English word.

How many vowel sounds are in English?

Depending on where you are and whom you ask, English has between 14 and 20 different vowel sounds. Most American English speakers have 15 or 16 vowel sounds.

If you’re learning English, you may already be familiar with the English alphabet, which has five vowels — a, e, i, o, u — and sometimes y. But with up to 20 different vowel sounds in English, how can just five or six vowels represent all the different sounds? Part of the solution is having short and long vowel sounds, that is, vowels that are pronounced differently depending on how and where they appear in a word.

What are short and long vowels?

In a lot of languages, short and long vowels are pronounced with the same sound but for different lengths of time. This isn’t the case in English. Instead, short and long vowel sounds get different pronunciations.

What does a long vowel sound like in English?

Long vowels in English sound just like the letter sounds in the alphabet. Some examples of long vowel sounds include:

What does a short vowel sound like in English?

Short vowel sounds, on the other hand, have very different sounds. Short sounds include:

Basic rules for long and short vowel sounds in English

There are a few rules you can use to help figure out whether a vowel should be pronounced as a short vowel or a long vowel in English.

Long vowel rules

Short vowel rules

How to know for sure if an English vowel is long or short

Though the rules above can help you figure out which words use long or short vowels, English is full of exceptions to these rules. So, if you’re not sure whether to pronounce a vowel as short or long, we recommend you look up the word in a dictionary. Every word should come with a pronunciation guide using the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). IPA is used to help people pronounce words in any language around the world, including English.

If you look up a new word, use the IPA spelling to figure out for sure what the vowel should sound like.

Long vowel examples with IPA pronunciation

Short vowel examples with IPA pronunciation

English has more than just long and short vowels

While long and short vowel sounds cover the majority of English words you’ll come across, remember that the full list of English vowel sounds can be at least 14 different sounds if you speak American English. As you improve your English skills, make sure to keep up with proper pronunciation. Our guide to improving English pronunciation will fill you in on everything you need to know to perfect your English pronunciation. And when you’re ready for more advanced English lessons, our English courses will get you speaking English like a native in no time.

Quiz on English long and short vowels

Below are 50 different English words. Can you tell whether they use long or short vowels? If you’re not sure, try using the basic rules above or looking up the IPA pronunciation in a dictionary.

Difference Between Long and Short Vowels

Difference Between Long and Short Vowels

There are five vowels in the English language. They are a, e, i, o, u. These vowels can represent a variety of sounds. The length and the sound of a vowel can change according to its position in a word and the pronunciation of that word. Vowels can be classified into long and short vowels based on their length. The main difference between long and short vowels is that long vowels have a long sound whereas short vowels have a short sound.

What are Long Vowels

A long vowel has a long sound. A long vowel sounds like the name of its vowel. For example, the letter ‘a’ in aim is pronounced as /ā/, or “ayy. The five long vowel sounds in the English language are

Given below are some words that contain long vowel sounds.

A: ape,lake, name, date, rain

E: deep, heed, eat, feet, feel

I: wine, bite, hide, kite, ice,

O: oak, boat, long, soak, hope

U: mule, fuse, unite, cube

What are Short Vowels

Short vowels are the opposite of long vowels; they produce a short vowel sound. A short vowel sound is produced when the vowel in a syllable is followed by a consonant. This type of syllable is called a closed syllable. Thus, short vowels are caused by closed syllables. Unlike in long vowels, the vowel sound of short vowels is not similar to the name of the vowel. The five short vowel sounds in the English language are,

Given below are some words that contain short vowel sounds.

A: cat, at, hat, mat, axe, apple, sack

E: set, edge, deck, head, bed, echo

I: bird, panic, pig, tin, bit, hid, ginger

O: hop, sock, ostrich, mop, mock

U: mud, fuss, blunder, up, ugly, under

Difference Between Long and Short Vowels

Length of Sound

Long Vowels produce a long vowel sound.

Short Vowels produce a short vowel sound.

Open vs Closed Syllables

Long Vowels are found in open syllables.

Short Vowels are found in closed syllables.

Pronunciation

Long Vowels are pronounced like the actual name of the vowel.

Short Vowels are not pronounced like the name of the vowel.

Sounds

Long Vowels include ā (as in rain), ē (beat), ī (wine), ō (go), and ū (fuse).

Short Vowels include a (as in fat), e (as in rest), i (as in win), o (as in cot), u (as in cup).

About the Author: Hasa

Hasa has a BA degree in English, French and Translation studies. She is currently reading for a Masters degree in English. Her areas of interests include literature, language, linguistics and also food.

Short & Long English Vowels

The English vowels are A, E, I, O, & U. (Sometimes Y is a vowel, pronounced as if it were I. Sometimes W substitutes for U, especially in the digraph ‘ow.’) Each vowel can be pronounced in several ways.This page explains when each sound is commonly used.

(Most of this information applies to English in general, though the exact sounds differ slightly. For vowel digraphs & R-controlled vowels, I’m describing general American English, That’s what the video demonstrates. British & Australian forms can be quite different, so the IPA symbols may also vary.)

Short Vowels

(The International Phonetic Alphabet symbol for each sound is inside the backslashes://. You doВ notВ need to understand the IPA symbols; just look for an example word you know how to pronounce. For those who want more,В this Wikipedia article В gives a fairly simple demonstration of the IPA as used in English. It links to more detailed information.)

We call these vowel sounds «short,» but they are not all spoken more quickly than the «long» sounds. However, it’s important to learn to pronounce these five sounds, because each is the most common sound for its letter. The main rules for when to use them and when to use «long» vowel sounds apply to all five of them.

When syllables end in a vowel and then consonant (as in the examples above), the vowel is usually short. If the vowel is followed by more than one consonant, it is almostВ alwaysВ short.

Long Vowels

The alphabet sounds (when the vowel “says its name”) are called “long vowels.”

We call them ‘long’ because we hold them slightly longer than the short sounds.В

Silent ‘E’ Rule: When a vowel and single consonant are followed by an ‘e’ (in the same syllable), the ‘e’ is almost always silent, but it causes the preceding vowel to be long. (Examples: ate, plane, Pete, bite, nine, rope, note, cube, flute.)

There are just a fewВ exceptions, most involving a ‘ve’ or an ‘ne’: above, dove (the bird), give, have, live (the verb), love, move, prove, solve, etc. A few others: are, come, done, gone, none, and one, as well as the ‘I’ in office.

Other Long Vowels: A vowel at the end of a syllable is almost always long. Examples: I, we, he, she, go, try, potato and tomato. (Some English speakers use a short ‘a’ in the 2nd syllable, while others use a long ‘a,’ but both ‘o’s are long for everyone.)

Often the first letter of the vowel combinations, especially ‘ai’, ‘ay’, ‘ea’ (sometimes— see Digraphs, below), ‘ee’, & ‘oa,’ will be long & the second will be silent. (An old rhyme for children says “when 2 vowels go walking, the first does the talking.”) So ’plain’ sounds exactly like ‘plane,’ ‘meat’ and ‘meet’ like ‘mete,’ etc.

However, there are many exceptions. (See the link to English Vowel Digraphs, at the bottom of this page, for the most common ones.)

Listen to Some Words with Short & Long VowelsВ

Here’s a demonstration of words mentioned above— & more.

These contrasts demonstrate the rules (in each column, first short, then long):

Other English Vowel SoundsВ

Besides the long and short sounds, there are other sounds English vowels can make.

Many vowels in unaccented syllables have a neutral or “schwa” /ə/ sound.  Examples: the ‘a’ in above or approve, the ‘e’ in accident, camera or mathematics, the ‘i’ in family or officer, the ‘o’ in freedom or purpose, or the ‘u’ in industry or succeed.

In the U.S., this is very close to the short ‘U’ sound. I can’t hear the difference, except that the vowels are often harder to hear at all in unaccented syllables.

Vowel Digraphs

Two vowels written together В (digraphs) may be a diphthong, combining the two sounds, (like the oi/oy in boy, point, or ointment).

They may instead be pronounced in various other ways, depending on the combination.

Some (like ai or ay, ea, ee, or oa), use the long (or in a few cases the short) sounds above.

Others (au/aw, oo, and ou or ow) may use these sounds or others.В SeeВ Vowel Digraphs В for a full explanation.В

R-Controlled Vowels

Exceptions, Dialects, & Help

Quite a few common words spelled with ‘O’ are pronounced with a short ‘U’ sound: of, love, money, other, some, son. (That means some and sum are homophones: they sound the same. So are son and sun.) See the course below for more examples and practice.

Different English dialects pronounce certain vowels differently than the general rules given above.  For example, in California and much of the U.S., the ‘a’ in ‘father’ or ‘want’ sounds like the ‘au’ in ‘audio’ or the short ‘o’ in ‘pot’ or ‘hot.’ In many other places that’s not true.

Ate, the past tense of eat, is pronounced with a long ‘a’ ( /eЙЄ/ ) in North America, but more often as ‘et’ (with a short ‘e’) in British English.В

Another example: theВ /Йњr/ in bird, burn, earth, etc. is generally pronounced /Й™r/ in the U.S. and some other areas.В

Don’t worry about these differences. English speakers can almost always understand people speaking other dialects of English. If you live in any area for a while, you’ll be able to adjust to them— and most are notВ veryВ different.

For the exact pronunciation of any English vowels, consult a good dictionary. Most list the sound symbols they use on one of the front pages. Good online dictionaries like theВ Oxford Advanced Learner’s DictionaryВ will let you listen to the pronunciation. (This dictionary gives both British and American pronunciations of each word.)

Updated Course on English Vowel Sounds & Spellings

Are you interested in learning more about the relationship between English vowel sounds and spellings?В

There have been so many positive comments on this page that I designed a short course about it. I recently improved it and also added a section on words of more than one-syllable, especially some important academic words. Knowing which syllable to stress can make these words much simpler to pronounce (and to spell).В

The course can help you recognize more of the words you know when you read them. It will also help you spell better and pronounce new words. Learn more and sign up here.В

If there are certain things you especially want to learn about vowel sounds or spelling, you can also leave a comment or question in the box below.

If you would like, you can download a pdf summary on short & long English vowels (as requested in the comments). (It includes color images to help you recognize each sound, as described in the course information above. The course has more details. It also has information & practice on R-controlled vowels and other vowel sounds:В au, oi, oo, ou and more.)

Because English has adopted words (and often some of their sounds), from so many other languages, none of these rules is always true.

However, these English vowel rules will help you guess at the pronunciation of words you read. For that reason, they may also help you guess their meaning, if you have heard them but not read them before. They should also help make English spelling a little easier.

English spellings and pronunciations are complicated— almost crazy! It helps to have a good sense of humor and not worry too much about them. Learn them when you have a chance. If you need to know a pronunciation,В check a dictionary! That’s the one really safe rule.

* This color vowel chart has more information & links on remembering vowel sounds by using colors.В

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ESL Phonics listsВ the basic sounds of each letter, with examples.