Short Vowels — Answer Key
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which word has the short i sound?
A) pine
B) pin
C) pie
D) pile
Pin is a CVC word p-i-n with the short i sound. Pine, pie, and pile all have long i because silent e or other letters change the vowel. Silent e is a first-grade stumbling block because it hops over the consonant to make the vowel say its name.
2. Which word has the short o sound?
A) hope
B) home
C) hop
D) hose
Hop is a CVC word h-o-p with short o. Hope, home, and hose all end in silent e, which makes the o say its long name /o/. Removing silent e from hope gives hop, changing the vowel sound from long to short.
3. Which word has the short u sound?
A) cube
B) cute
C) cub
D) cure
Cub is a CVC word c-u-b with short u. Cube, cute, and cure all have silent e that changes u to the long /u/ sound. This pair (cub/cube) is a classic example of how silent e transforms a short vowel into a long vowel.
4. Which word has the short a sound?
A) cane
B) cape
C) cake
D) cat
Cat is a CVC word c-a-t with short a. Cane, cape, and cake all end in silent e, making the a say its long name /a/. Grade 1 readers must learn that silent e at the end is a signal that the vowel will be long, not short.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. I used a pin to fix my torn shirt.
Pin uses short i in the CVC pattern. If we added silent e to make pine, the i would say its long name. The CVC pattern is the key signal for short vowels in Grade 1.
2. The bunny likes to hop across the yard.
Hop uses short o in the CVC pattern. Adding silent e makes hope, a different word with a long o sound. Understanding this shift is essential for Grade 1 decoding.
3. A baby bear is called a cub.
Cub uses short u in the CVC pattern c-u-b. Cube with silent e has a long u sound. First graders learn that silent e at the end lengthens the vowel sound.
4. My dad wore a hat to work today.
Hat uses short a in CVC. Adding silent e would make hate, changing both meaning and sound. CVC without silent e always signals a short vowel in Grade 1 phonics.
5. The little kitten slept on my lap.
Lap uses short a l-a-p in the CVC pattern. With no silent e, the a stays short. Lap contrasts with words like late, where silent e makes the a long.