How to Pronounce Short Vowels in American English
Short vowels are small sounds that are very easy to make! They are the most common sound for each vowel. Your mouth will stay in one position for the entire sound.
A, e, i, and o have one short sound. U has two short sounds, and we’ll talk about how they are different.
Yes, Sometimes the Spelling Can Be Difficult
For now, don’t worry about spelling! English does not have a phonetic alphabet – that means that the same letter doesn’t always make the same sound. For now, just focus on the sound you hear when you listen to the word. As you learn more English and do more reading, you will learn how these sounds can be spelled. We’ll talk more about spelling in the Spelling section.
The International Phonetic Alphabet
To help with pronunciation, I’ve included the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbol for each letter. We’ll see these symbols again in the Speaking section.
The “Schwa” Vowel Sound
Be sure to learn about this short sound that is the most common vowel sound in American English. It’s very easy to pronounce, but it can be harder to know when to use it. Don’t worry, though – we’ll talk about everything you need to know.
Let’s start! Click on the links below to watch a short video and learn about each sound.
