Let's look at the word 'business.' The U and E in 'business' are also sounded like a short I, and the I is silent altogether.
Likewise, we can't assume a long word will automatically have a long vowel sound. Phonetically, it sounds more like 'prit-tee,' not 'pret-tai.' Take the word 'pretty.' The E is sounded like a short I, and the Y is sounded like a long E. And vowel as written doesn't always correspond with the sound it makes. That is, just because a word is short, doesn't mean it will automatically have a short vowel sound. The words listed below are short vowel sounds, not short vowel spellings. These words use a second vowel to force the long vowel sound from the first one, while other words like ' ant' or ' mat' use the placement of consonants to force a short vowel sound.īut, here's an important point to keep in mind.
Exceptions include words like 'bee' or 'tea.' Three letters usually don't allow for a second vowel to force the long vowel sound out. Here's the reason why words with only three letters typically make the short vowel sound.
