Classifying Vowel Sounds: Common Spellings

This is the one I usually begin with. It is intended to make students aware that though there is not just one spelling for each sound, for each sound there is only a very limited number of common spellings. I get students to start the exercise in class in small groups and to finish it individually for homework. First I give them a sheet of paper with the words to be classified. It looks more or less like this: Classifying Vowel Sounds: Common Spellings Classify these words on the accompanying sheet according to the sound of the vowel root shirt where cart more cloud line scene boot use noon book Sam on turn care hard born site round oil burn share arm or rat pot bun push how join flirt rare dark bored pin bin ten can cod bus look less mate hope cute soon ill men show Tim met now noise first fair barn door cane cod time teen rain know tune Pete mean had lot run by meet say mule loose nice praise blow fume room hug bull coin count toy sit pet mat hop cut wood fur air carp cord cow boil kiss Ted mad boss us pull my speak made cone huge Then I give them a second "empty" sheet on which to classify the above words that looks like this: Classifying Vowel Sounds

// in

/e/ well

// man

//or// not

// up

// good

/a/ nine

/i:/ see

/e/ day

// note

/ju:/ you

/u:/ too

/3:/ girl

/e/ there

/:/ far

/:/ four

/a/ out

// boy

When they have finished their classifications, I give them the following key to check their work: Classifying Vowel Sounds: Common Spellings - key

// in sit bin Tim kiss pin ill /a/ nine

/e/ well pet ten met Ted less men /i:/ see

// man mat can had mad Sam rat /e/ day

//or // not hop cod lot boss on pot // note

// up cut bus run us hug bun /ju:/ you

// good wood look book pull bull push /u:/ too

site line time by my nice /3:/ girl shirt turn first burn fur flirt

Pete scene teen meet speak mean /e/ there where care fair share air rare

mate cane rain say made praise /:/ far cart hard barn arm carp dark /a/ out count now round cow cloud how

hope code know show cone blow /:/ or more born door or cord bored // boy toy noise oil boil coin join

cute use tune mule huge fume

soon noon boot loose root room

When they have the key, I ask them a number of questions. For example: "Why was this particular layout chosen?" "What is the role of the final letter "e"?" "What is the role of the letter "r" after a vowel?" "/ju:/ is not a vowel or diphthong. Why is it included here?" At a later session I may get them to work in the same way with another collection of words. For an online interactive version of this exercise see: Vowel sounds and spelling and also a PDF answer sheet.

Classifying Vowel Sounds: Common Words, Bizarre Spellings

British English Classify these words on the accompanying sheet according to the sound of the vowel minute already want money should says aunt queue shoe mother sure private said other woman

busy half call either country autumn many work young pretty learn after saw orange sight machine eight cold menu blue high seize heavy what none could buy ceiling great boat break coat threw height steak though lose knew through roll move again women measure walk cough come would early father law August tall laugh word world calm talk heart taught weight old fought Here's the key:

Classifying Vowel Sounds: Common Words, Bizarre Spellings

British English

// in women minute pretty orange private busy

/e/ well measure already heavy says said again many /i:/ see machine seize ceiling

// man

// not cough want what

// up come money none mother other country young /ju:/ you menu queue knew

// good would should could sure woman

/a/ nine sight high buy either height

/e/ day eight weight great break steak

// note cold old boat coat though roll

/u:/ too blue shoe through threw lose move fruit

/3:/ girl early learn word work world

/e/ there

/:/ far father after laugh half calm aunt heart

/:/ or law saw tall call talk walk taught fought August autumn // boy

/a/ out

For other groups I sometimes prepare a sheet specially related to their profession or their field of studies. There are many other ways of working on spelling and pronunciation but this is one I have found particularly effective over the years for achieving results because it encourages students to create and refine their own internal criteria.