Dear learner, here are brainstorming questions and activities that can help with understanding and practicing short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs:

1. Vowel Sound Comparison

Activity: Create a list of words that contain short vowels, long vowels, and diphthongs.

For each vowel sound category, select three to five words. For example:

• Short Vowels: cat, bed, pig, dog, nut
• Long Vowels: cake, feet, bike, hope, tube
• Diphthongs: coin, loud, boy, fire, mouse

Questions:

• How do the vowel sounds in these words differ from each other?
• Can you identify any patterns in how these sounds are represented in spelling?

2. Minimal Pairs Practice

Activity: Prepare a set of minimal pairs where only the vowel sound changes.

For instance:

• Short Vowel vs. Long Vowel: bit vs. beat, ship vs. sheep
• Diphthong vs. Short Vowel: coat vs. cat, mouse vs. mess

Questions:

• How does changing the vowel sound affect the meaning of the word?
• What strategies do you use to ensure accurate pronunciation when dealing with minimal pairs?

SPEAKING

1. Pronouncing Short Vowels, Long Vowels and Diphthongs in the IPA (International Phonetics Alphabet)

• 7 short vowels: /ɪ/ /ʊ/ /ə/ /e/ /ɒ/ /ʌ/ /æ/
• 5 long vowels: /iː/ /uː/ /ɑː/ /ɔː/ /ɜː/
• 8 diphthongs: /eɪ/ /aɪ//ɔɪ/ /əʊ/ /aʊ/ /ɪə/ /eə/ /ʊə/
• Short Vowels
• If a word or syllable has only one vowel and it comes at the beginning of a word, the vowel is usually short.

These are called VC (vowel consonant) words.  e.g. an, ant, end, in, up, on, ox

2. If a word or syllable has only one vowel and it comes between two consonants, the vowel is usually short. These are called CVC (consonant vowel consonant) words.
B. Long Vowels– English long vowels have two dots like this – /:/ after the vowel symbol. If it has /:/ after it, you know it’s a long vowel!
– English long vowels are noticeably longer than short vowels.

	Short Vowels		long vowel
1.	Short (a )pronounced /æ/ as in back/bæk/, fast/fæst/, bat/bæt/, cap/kæp/, rack/ræk/, hand/hænd/, fat/fæt/,	1.	Long  a (a:) pronounced/ a: / as in bark /ba:rk/ farm/fa:rm/, hard /ha:rd/, park /pa:rk/, article /ɑːr.tɪ.kəl/
2.	Short (I) pronounced /I/ as in hit/hIt/,bean/bIn/,fit/fIt/,chip/tʃIp/	2.	Long  (i:) pronounced/ i: / as in heat/hi:t/,bin/bi:n/,feet/fi:t/,cheap/tʃi:p/
3.	Short (u) pronounced /ʊ/ as in foot/fʊt/, full,/fʊl/, look/lʊ k/, put /pʊt/, book /bʊk/,	3.	Long (u:) pronounced/ u: /as in food/fu:d/, you/ju:/, who/hu:/ /u:/   boot /bu:t/, group /gru:p/,
4.	Short /ɒ/ pronounced /ɒ/  as in pot /pɒt/, dog /dɒg/, hospital /ˈhɒs.pɪ.təl/	4.	Long  /ɔː/ pronounced /ɔː/ as in fork /fɔ:k/, walk /wɔ:k/, August /ɔːˈɡʌst/
5.	Short /ʌ/  pronounced /ʌ/   as in cut /kʌt/ jump /dʒʌmp/, cover /ˈkʌ.vər/	5.	Long  a /ɜ:/pronounced /ɜ:/  as in heard /hɜ:d/, word /wɜ:d/, surface /ˈsɜː.fɪs/
6.	Short /ə/   pronounced /ə/   as in about /əˈbaʊt/, system /ˈsɪs.təm/, complete /kəmˈpliːt/.		5 long vowels: /iː/ /uː/ /ɑː/ /ɔː/ /ɜː/
7.	Short /e/  pronounced /e/ as in –  pet /pet/, sent /sent/, attention /əˈten.ʃən/
	7 short vowels: /ɪ/ /ʊ/ /ə/ /e/ /ɒ/ /ʌ/ /æ/

• ENGLISH DIPHTHONG OR DOUBLE VOWELS IN THE IPA (International Phonetics Alphabet)   

What are English Diphthong Vowels in the IPA?

–There are 8 IPA symbols for English Diphthong vowels. The IPA for English 8 Diphthong vowels are: /eɪ/, /oʊ/, /aʊ/, /ɪə/, /eə/, /ɔɪ/, /aɪ/, /ʊə/.  

– English diphthong vowels have two IPA symbols because they are made up of two mouth position.
– in other words, diphthong vowels are two short vowels joined together, they are also called double vowels.
– many non-native speakers make some English diphthong vowels as single vowels

	English Vowels Examples – IPA Diphthong (double) Vowels
No.	Diphthongs	Vowel Phonetic Symbol   &    IPA Examples in Words
1	/eɪ/	place /pleɪs/, late /leɪt/, dangerous /ˈdeɪn.dʒə.rəs/
2	/oʊ/	home /hoʊm/, phone /foʊn/, global /ˈɡloʊ.bəl/
3	/aʊ/	mouse /maʊs/, brown /braʊn/, accountant /əˈkaʊn.t̬ənt/
4	/ɪə/	clear /klɪər/, fear /fɪər/,  career /kəˈrɪər/
5	/eə/	care /keər/, wear /weər/, declare /dɪˈkleər/
6	/ɔɪ/	boy /bɔɪ/, toy /tɔɪ/, enjoyable /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ.jə.bəl/
7	/aɪ/	find /faɪnd/, bite /baɪt/, tiger  /ˈtaɪ.ɡə/
8	/ʊə/	tour /tʊər/, pure /pʊər/,  mature /məˈtʃʊər/, poor/pʊər/,

Dear learner, here is a short video of Pronouncing Short Vowels, Long Vowels and Diphthongs. Practice by pronouncing every Vowels and Diphthongs while Watching and listening to it.