Phonics: Rules

Sometimes you know to read the long vowel sound when you see two vowels together or an "e" and the end of the word.

Look at the word pipe and the word pie.

You say long -i-. The long -i- sounds like I and can be written like this: ī.
Sometimes, a silent e at the end of a word tells you to say a long vowel sound. Sometimes, two vowels together tell you to say the first vowel.

pipe

pie

You say long -o-. The long -o- sounds like O and can be written like this: ō
The silent e in rope makes the -o- long. Sometimes, a silent e at the end of a word tells you to say a long vowel sound. The letters oa make a long -o-. The a in oa is silent. Sometimes, two vowels together tell you to say the first vowel.

rope

road

You say the long -u-. The long -u- sounds like U and can be written like this: ū
The e at the end of tube is silent. Sometimes a silent e at the end of a word tells you to say a long vowel sound.

tube