Words with long i sound

Six Ways to Spell the Long I Sound

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One of the reasons why English spelling is so difficult to learn is because often the same sound is spelled in a variety of ways. In past blog posts we’ve looked at how to spell the long /a/ sound, the long /e/ sound, and the long /o/ sound.

Today, we will look at six ways of spelling the long /i/ sound. Please note the pronunciation of some of the example words may vary depending on accent.

1. Just the Letter I
   Some words spell the long /i/ sound with just the letter i. These words are usually more than one syllable long with the long /i/ sound is in the first syllable.

   Here are some examples:

   • item
   • idea
   • iron
   • irate
   • crisis
   • final
   • pilot
   • silent

A few of the words that spell the long /i/ sound with just the letter i are only one syllable long. These words end with –ind, for example: kind, mind, and wind. You can practise spelling –ind words here.

1. A – E Words
   Most of the time the long /i/ sound is spelled with an i in the middle of the word and an e at the end of the word.

   Here are some examples:

   • bribe
   • wide
   • life
   • hike
   • reconcile
   • time
   • shine
   • gripe

You can practise spelling i – e words here and here.

1. IGH Words
   Another way to spell the long /i/ sound is with the letters igh. In these words the g and h are silent letters.

   Here are some examples of the long /i/ sound spelled with the letters igh:

   • high
   • thigh
   • bright
   • knight
   • slight
   • nightmare
   • twilight
   • highlight

You can practise spelling igh words here.

1. IG Words
   A few words spell the long /i/ sound with the letters ig. These words end with the letter n.
   Here are some examples of long /a/ words spelled with the letter ig:
   • sign
   • resign
   • design
   • consign
   • align
   • assign

You can practise spelling -ign words here.

1. Y Words
   Often at the end of a word and sometimes in the middle of a word, the long /i/ sound is spelled with the letter y.

   Here are some examples:

   • by
   • dry
   • sly
   • shy
   • apply
   • deny
   • identify
   • multiply

   You can practise spelling y words here and here.

2. IE Words
   In four words, the long /i/ sound is spelled with the letters ie at the end. More ie words are also made by adding a suffix to words ending with y.
   • tie
   • die
   • lie
   • pie
   • applied
   • denied
   • identified
   • multiplied

If you’d like to learn more about spelling long /i/ sounds, have a look at Unit 7 on our online spelling course. Subscribe to Spellzone for extra tips and plenty of practice.

Have a good week!

14 Dec 2016
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173+ Long i Vowel Sound Words (Free Printable List)

Grade 1 | Grade 2 | Long Vowels | Vowels

ByKatie August 22, 2022October 24, 2022

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Learn all about long i and the six ways to spell the long i vowel sound: i, i-e, igh, y, y-e, and ie. You will also snag your own free printable list with 173 words with long i vowel sounds!

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Table of Contents

• All About Long i
• Long i Sound Words
• FAQ & Info
• Related Posts
• Download & Print

All About Long i

Just as with all long vowels, the long vowel sound is the same as the letter name.

• Long a says /ā/ like acorn.
• Long e says /ē/ like equal.
• Long i says /ī/ like ice.
• Long o says /ō/ like ocean.
• Long u says /yoo/ like unicorn, OR /oo/ like ruler.

I usually teach my students a little jingle to remember the sound long vowels make. We pound on the table and chant, “Long vowels say their names.” My students really respond positively to this, and it helps them to remember the sounds of long vowels!

Long i can be spelled 6 different ways: i, i-e, igh, y, y-e, and ie. All of these spelling patterns can result in the long i vowel sound. Examples include:

• i like lion.
• i-e like bike.
• igh like light.
• y like fly.
• y_e like type.
• ie like pie.

Long i Sound Words

👉 Scroll to the bottom to download our free, comprehensive long i word list PDF!

i – Open Syllable Words & Wild/Old Words

The letter i by itself will say its long sound when it is the last letter in a syllable. This is called an open syllable. Think about words like hi, li/on, and pi/lot. Since the syllables end in the single letter i, the vowel will make its long i sound.

👉 Exceptions: We also hear the long i sound in many common, but irregular closed syllable words that break the rules.

These ‘exceptions to the rule’ are one-syllable words that end in -ild, -ilt, -ind, and -ist. These are sometimes referred to as Wild, Old Words.

Words with open syllable and wild or old words with long i sound:

i-e (Long i with Silent E)

This pattern follows a VCe pattern and results in the letter i saying its name.

Use the sight word ‘like’ to teach this spelling pattern. Write it on the board and ask your students to read it. Because this word is usually one of the first sight words children learn, they should know it automatically. )

Follow this general script:

1. Teacher: Tap the sounds you hear in the word like. How many sounds do you hear?
2. Students: /l/ /ī/ /k/ = 3 sounds.
3. Teacher: But we see four letters! When we see i-consonant-e pattern in words, the i will say its long sound. That’s why ‘like’ has a long vowel sound in the middle. Without the letter e at the end, it would say ‘lick.’ Now imagine you raised your hand in class and said “I like my dog.” That magic e at the end is so important because, without it, my sentence would say “I lick my dog.” (Kids always get a hoot out of using this example in a sentence.)

Words with long i with silent e with long i sound:

igh – Vowel Team

Refer to this spelling pattern as “igh – 3 letter i. ” It’s a three-letter vowel team. This phonogram is totally irregular and cannot be sounded out.

We learned from The ABC’s and All Their Tricks that this spelling is actually a remnant of Old English and Old German, which is why it looks so strange to us!

Words with vowel team igh with long I sound:

y – Vowel

Remember told old saying: “A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y. ” Well, let’s teach our students the rules for when the letter y actually is considered a vowel. They can know for sure when that “sometimes” really occurs.

👉 Y is considered a vowel when it comes at the end of a syllable or word.
👉 When Y is at the end of a root word, it makes the long i sound.

Multisyllabic words where the vowel y makes the long I sound:

y-e (Long Y with Silent E)

When y is in the middle of a word, it is also considered a vowel.

When a syllable follows a y-consonant-silent e pattern, the y makes the long i sound. Many of these words come from Greek, and the y makes the sound of i.

ie – Vowel Team

IE is a vowel team. When it comes at the end of a root, it makes the long vowel i sound.

There are only a handful of words that include this vowel team, so teaching these four words together as a word family may be a better approach than teaching and reviewing the vowel team.

FAQ & Info

What are the best ways to teach long vowels?

Begin by solidifying the difference between long and short vowels. Use hands-on activities, manipulatives, and orthographic mapping activities. Vowel sorts are also great activities.

Should I teach all long vowel spellings at the same time?

You should not teach all long vowel patterns at the same time. Follow a scope and sequence that targets skills systematically to build a solid foundation.

Do I use all the words on the Long Vowel Word List?

Only choose words from the list that follow the phonics skills you’ve already taught. For example: When teaching the long y spelling for long i, do not use the word “city” with students if you haven’t already taught the soft sound of c says /s/.

Related Posts

👉 Get the rest of the printable Long Vowel Word Lists: Long A, Long E, Long O, and Long U!

• Long & Short Vowel Sorts
• Silent E Worksheets
• Magic Wand Silent E Printable

Download & Print

We hope you can use many of the words on this list as you teach the long i vowel sound. Please comment below or tag us on Instagram @Literacylearn to tell us your best tips for teaching long i.

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Pronunciation of English sounds [u:, ju:]

The sound [ u: ] is a long and intense sound. When pronouncing the sound [ u: ], the tongue is slightly retracted from the lower teeth, the lips are rounded, but do not protrude forward as when pronouncing the Russian sound [ u ].

The sound combination [ ju: ] is similar in longitude and intensity to the sound [ u: ]. In order to pronounce it, you must begin with a short sound [ j ], changing to a long sound [ u: ].

The sound combination [ ju: ] is similar to the Russian sound [ yu ], if you pronounce it without protruding your lips.

Compare:

The English sound [ u: ] and the sound combination [ ju: ] sound in the following English words:

Long sound [ u: ] in the letter is transmitted:

• letter combination oo + any consonant except k , for example: spoon, room, pool, cool, boot, school

• the letter u preceded by the letter l and followed by the silent e , for example: blue, clue

  The exception is the letter combination ou , which in the word soup reads like [ u: ]

The sound combination [ ju: ] in the letter is transmitted:

• letter combination ew : new

• letter u followed by a consonant + silent vowel e , for example: tune

  An exception is after the sounds [ l ], [ r ] the letter u is read as [ u: ]: ruler, blue

Sounds uː, ʊ, ʊǝ - examples, pronunciation, tongue twisters

We continue the phonetic rubric, the slogan of which is: English sounds are not equal to Russian ones. To learn the correct pronunciation, we have developed a recipe: we take a “bunch” of similar sounds, compare them with each other and with their Russian counterparts. Then we practice pronunciation and literally “train” the speech apparatus to the correct position with the help of several dozen example words and tongue twisters. nine0009

A line from a famous song will help to fix the result, which will be engraved in the auditory memory and will not let you forget the sound!

Today we will take sounds similar to the Russian sound |у| is a long diphthongoid |uː|, short |ʊ| and the diphthong |ʊǝ|.

Long sound |uː| – round but not stick out

Pronounced in words goose, too, rule , etc. This sound is very similar to ours, but there are two main differences:

1. English | uː | is a diphthongoid. That is, this is one sound, but we hear in it the “overtone” of the second sound (also | u |, but deeper), because the tongue and lips slightly change their position during pronunciation: the tongue moves back and up in the oral cavity. The lips are visibly rounded at the beginning and become even more rounded as the tongue moves. nine0009

2. To speak English | uː | lips are rounded, but not protruding forward. To see the difference, compare the two pictures. At the first, Russian-speaking singer Keti Topuria pronounces the word " at I fly" in the song of the same name. In the second picture, the English-speaking presenter from the previous video says one of the example words.

Think you can see the difference? 🙂

As a bonus, I'll tell you about one more important point: in combination | ju: |, which may remind you of the sounds of our letter "yu" (as in the word " yu la" ) - the preceding vowel is not softened! For example, in the words f ew, n ew, t une - we first pronounce the hard consonant and only then raise the middle back of the tongue to the hard palate for | | ju: |.

Got it? Did you catch the differences? We begin to work out the correct position on a set of words.

goose |ɡuːs|

who |huː| nine0009

through |θruː|

few |fjuː|

group |ɡruːp|

move |muːv|

you |juː|

threw |θruː|

yew |juː|

too |tuː|

tool|tuːl|

tooth |tuːθ|

cool |kuːl |

rule |ruːl |

school |skuːl |

use |juːz|

tune |tjuːn|

fool |fuːl |

soon |suːn|

new |njuː|

do |duː|

two |tuː| nine0009

view |vjuː|

blue |bluː|

Now we complicate the task: we pronounce tongue twisters. Long sound | u: | Highlighted in them with fat:

• A SCH OO L'R U Sually InCl U des Seaf OO OU T. DLES and ST EW FRED FRED FRED FRE . A and niversity’s men0027 oo ms and fr ui t j ui ce.
• A C U TE B EAU TY SAL N U Sually U SES PERF U ME, SHAMP and T OO ThPASTE PRODE ULPAS
• J u dy's r oo m has a b eau tiful vi ew of a p oo l, L u cy's r oo m has a b eau tiful vi ew of r nine0229

  Pronounced in the words look, good, book , etc. It also differs significantly from Russian | at |. Firstly, the position of the tongue: it is not tense, pulled back, but not very far (in the Russian version, the tongue is pulled back further). The back of the tongue rises to the front of the soft palate not so high - up to half the distance.

  The second important difference is the position of the lips: they don't round as much. In fact, the lips need to be rounded, as for our | o |, but the mouth is not open so wide. The lips hardly protrude. nine0009

  Let's start the practice with words. Take the desired position of the mouth - and get to work!

  could |kʊd|

  full |fʊl|

  foot |fʊt|

  pull |pʊl|

  should |ʃʊd|

  look |lʊk|

  put |pʊt|

  good |ɡʊd|

  took |tʊk|

  book |bʊk|

  hook |hʊk|

  crook |krʊk|

  brook |brʊk|

  cook |kʊk|

  took |tʊk|

  bull|bʊl|

  hood |hʊd| nine0009

  would |wʊd|

  wool |wʊl |

  push |pʊʃ|

  puss |pʊs|

  soot |sʊt|

  woman | ˈwʊmən|

  sugar | ˈʃʊɡə ^r |

  The next step - tongue twisters with sound | ʊ |.

  • A G OO D-L OO King W O MAN C OO KS C OO Kies with U OO SEBERRY FROMA AS oo k.
  nine0165 G OO D F U Llers are G OO D at U Lening W OO L, G OO D C OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO 900 oo kies, g oo d b oo kmen are g oo d at f oo tnoting b oo ks. C ou ld g oo d b oo ksellers be g oo d at b oo king b oo ks?
  • A c oo k's b OO Kshelf is F U LL of C OO KB OO KS, A B OO Kman’s B OO KCASE IS F U LL of G D D B KS.

  And the last thing is the song. For this sound, I propose to dwell on the song of the singer La'Porsha Renae - "Good Woman".

  You got a g oo d g oo d g oo d g oo d w0232
  Cuz i'm a Real G OO D G D G OO D Good W O MAN (Woman) BUT EVEN GO OO OO OO OO OO OO OO 900 what you p u t me through

  |ʊǝ| What is a diphthong?

  Pronounced in words pure, sec u rity, tour and others . Let's start the conversation with what a diphthong is in principle. This is a combination of two vowels that are in one syllable . That is, when pronouncing this sound, the position of the speech apparatus changes , but at the same time you pronounce these “two sounds” together, without dividing them into syllables (as you divide, for example, in the Russian word p oe t - where "to" and "et" are two separate syllables).

  Do not confuse diphthong and diphthong oid (like the long |u: | we talked about above). In the diphthong and the “overtone of the second sound” is similar in quality to the main sound, and in the diphthong the two components of the sound are very different from each other. nine0009

  In a diphthong, one part is a syllable-forming core (strong sound), and the second is a weak, muffled sound (I would say “sound echo”).

  In our today's diphthong | ʊǝ | syllable-forming element is the sound | ʊ | (we just learned how to pronounce it). The second weak element is the “seam” sound, which we talked about in another article. Only within this diphthong does it become even more faceless and unexpressed.

  I must say right away that this diphthong in English is not so frequent. Moreover, in some words in modern English it is replaced by either the sound | ɔ: |, or simply on | ʊ | (especially in American English), or into 2 syllables: long sound | u: | + | ə |. Read more here. nine0009

  But still, I suggest you practice its pronunciation. First, do the following: say the word look |lʊk| several times (just in case, follow the link and speak along with the voice acting). Now, without changing the position for the sound | ʊ |, say the word lure |lʊə ^r |. Ready!

  Next, we begin to practice on other words. I repeat: there are not many of them.

  tour |tʊə ^r |

  pure |pjʊə ^r |

  cure |kjʊər|

  lure |lʊə ^r |

  during | ˈdjʊərɪŋ|

  security |sɪˈkjʊərəti |

  endure |ɪnˈdjʊə ^r |

  furious | ˈfjʊəriəs|

  fury | ˈfjʊəri |

  impure |ɪmˈpjʊə ^r |

  manicure | ˈmænɪkjʊə ^r |

  neuron | njʊərɒn|

  spurious | ˈspjʊəriəs|

  Let's not skip a step with tongue twisters:

  • I'll s ure ly speak fl ue ntly after a t ou r to Eu rope.
  • The j u ry got f u rious and m ur ed the p oo r p u ritan.
  • The M Oor S Havy Always L URA D SIR C UR IE, BUT D U Ring HIS T OU R to the M OO RS P R SIR C UR UR UR URA URA UR ie was cr ue lly removed from his b ureau for truancy.

  In conclusion - a song. I settled on "Pure Love" by Ronnie Milsap (word pure ).
  Pure love baby it's pure love
  Ninety-nine and forty-four one hundred percent pure love

  39

  Let's sum it up: analogues of Russian |у|

  1. Long tone | u: | unlike ours, it is diphthongoid (the speech apparatus slightly changes its position during pronunciation): the tongue moves back and up in the oral cavity.

     ---

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