Short & Long Vowels — Answer Key
Part A: Sort the Words
Sort each word or number into the correct category box.
1. Sort each word by its vowel sound: short-i (as in pig) or long-i (spelled igh, y, or ie).
Short I
pigsit Long I
nightcrypiehighskytie Short-i appears in CVC words like pig and sit. Long-i can be spelled many ways: igh in night and high, y at the end of cry and sky, and ie in pie and tie.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. The stars shine bright at night.
Night uses the igh pattern, where three letters team up to make the long-i sound with the g and h silent.
2. The pig rolled in the mud happily.
Pig is a CVC word with one i between two consonants, making the short-i sound we hear in sit and big.
3. The baby began to cry when she was hungry.
Cry ends in y, which makes the long-i sound at the end of short one-syllable words like fly, try, and sky.
4. Grandma baked an apple pie for dessert.
Pie uses the ie vowel team, where i and e work together so the i says its name and e stays silent.
5. The bird can fly very high in the sky.
High uses the igh spelling pattern, making the long-i sound with silent g and h, just like in night.
Part C: True or False?
Read each statement. Circle True or False.
1. The word sky has a long-i sound.
True False
At the end of a short one-syllable word, the letter y often makes the long-i sound, as in sky, fly, and my.
2. The word sit has a long-i sound.
True False
Sit is a CVC word with a single i, so it makes the short-i sound, not the long-i sound we hear in night.
3. The word tie uses the ie pattern for long-i.
True False
Tie is spelled with ie, a vowel team where i says its long name and e stays silent, just like in pie.
4. The word night has a short-i sound.
True False
Night uses the igh pattern for long-i, so the i says its name rather than making the short-i sound.