How to Study English Vowels. Method 2: From Spelling to Sound

This method proceeds from letter combinations of vowels and shows the sounds that they represent. Rewrite the chart on vowel combinations given in English Vowel Sounds proceeding not from vowel sounds, but from vowel letter combinations. Some vowel combinations can represent several sounds, and it is necessary to know where and which sound to pronounce.

Этот метод идет от буквенных сочетаний гласных и показывает звуки, которые они передают. Перепишите таблицу сочетаний гласных, данную в материале English Vowel Sounds, идя не от гласных звуков, а от буквосочетаний гласных. Некоторые сочетания гласных могут передавать несколько звуков, и необходимо знать, где и какой звук произнести.

Combination EA

Under stress, in the root: (Под ударением, в корне слова)

[i:]: sea, tea, flea, peace, beach, teach, lead, read, beak, peak, leak, freak, deal, meal, reveal, seal, steal, beam, cream, scream, team, bean, lean, clean, heap, leap, reap, please, release, increase, tease, meat, beat, heat, beneath, breathe, creature, leave.

Under stress, in the root:

[e]: bread, dead, head, header, lead, read, spread, thread, dread, tread, ready, instead, sweat, sweater, threat, threaten, breath, death, deaf, health, stealth, wealth, weather, leather, feather, treacherous, treasure, measure, pleasure, pleasant, jealous, dealt, meant, cleanse, weapon, heaven, heavy, breakfast, breast.

[ei]: break, great, steak.

Combination OW

Usually under stress, in the root: (Обычно под ударением, в корне слова)

[au]: now, how, cow, row, bow, brow, allow, crowd, powder, owl, fowl, howl, down, gown, town, clown, brown, drown, crown, browse, browser, towel, bowel, vowel, flower, power, tower, coward, Howard.

Under stress, in the root:

[ou]: know, low, show, row, bow, mow, owe, tow, crow, grow, throw, blow, flow, slow, bowl, own, blown, flown, grown, shown, thrown, growth.

Unstressed, in the root: (Без ударения, в корне слова)

[ou]: follow, hollow, borrow, narrow, window, yellow.

Combination OU

Usually under stress, in the root:

[au]: out, about, doubt, couch, cloud, loud, proud, foul, noun, ounce, bounce, announce, found, pound, ground, hound, round, sound, surround, count, amount, mountain, house, mouse, louse, blouse, mouth, south, scout, shout, our, hour, flour, sour, bough, plough, drought.

Usually under stress, in the root:

[u:]: group, soup, route, boulevard, cougar, coupon, loupe, mousse, routine, souvenir, through, wound, you, youth.

[u]: could, should, would.

Under stress or unstressed, in the root or suffix: (Под ударением или без ударения, в корне или суффиксе)

neutral sound [ə]: enough, rough, tough, country, cousin, couple, double, trouble, touch, flourish, nourish, young, borough, thorough, Plymouth, famous, venomous, glamorous.

Under stress, in the root:

[o:]: cough, bought, brought, fought, ought, sought, thought, course, court, four, pour, source, your.

[ou]: boulder, mould / mold, shoulder, soul, dough, though.

Continue this work with the other vowel combinations. See Spelling Patterns for Vowels in the section Writing.

Продолжите эту работу с другими сочетаниями гласных. См. Spelling Patterns for Vowels в разделе Writing.