Monophthongs

• Vowel # 1 /i: /

1. the letter ”e” in open and historically open syllables (be, these)
2. the diagraphs “ee”(meet, see)

“ea” (meat, peace)

“ie” (piece)

“ei” (ceiling)

Rare Spellings: people, key, breathe, wreathe

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

2. No sweet without some sweat.

3. Extremes meet.

• Vowel # 2 /i /
1. letters “i” and “y” in stressed closed syllables (sit, myth)
2. “y”, “ey” when unstressed (city, money)
3. “ai”, “ay” when unstressed (mountain, Sunday)
4. letter “e” in prefixes (before, decide)

Rare Spellings: busy, build, foreign, woman, coffee, biscuit

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. As fit as a fiddle.

2. As busy as a bee.

3. Little pitches have big ears.

• Vowel # 3 /e/

1. letter “e” in closed accented syllables (red)

2. diagraph “ea” before “d”, “th” (bread, death)

Irregular Readings: dear

Rare Spellings: heavy, measure, pleasure, pleasant, peasant, health, wealth, meant, breakfast, weapon; any, many, friend, says, said

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. Many men, many minds.

2. Better to do well than to say well.

3. Better late than never, but better never late.

4. All is well that ends well.

5. Better an egg today than a hen tomorrow.

· Vowel # 4 / æ /

Letter “a” in closed syllables (glad).

Note: a number of trisyllabic and disyllabic words with the accented letter “a” an open syllable fall under this rule (family, palate)

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. No living man all things can.

2. Who chatters to you will chatter of you.

· Vowel # 5 /a: /

1. The diagraph “ar” (part)

2. “a” followed by ”ss, st, sk, sp, ft, th, lf, lm” (after, past, ask, grasp, after, father, half, calm)

3. “ance” in words of French origin (France, glance)

4. “and” when stressed (demand)

Rare Spellings: aunt, draught, clerk, sergeant, heart, hearth, bazaar, drama, aria, tomato, garage, moustache, vase

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. He laughs best, who laughs last.

2. After a storm comes a calm.

3. Each dog barks in his own yard.

4. Art is long, life is short.

· Vowel # 6 /ɒ /

1. The letter “o” in closed stressed syllables (not)

2. The diagraph “wa” (was), EXCEPT: water /o: /

3. “qua” (quality), EXCEPT: quarter /kwo: /

Rare Spellings: because, cough, knowledge, sausage

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. Honesty is the best policy.

2. A little pot is soon hot.

3. Be slow to promise and quick to perform.

4. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.

· Vowel # 7 /ɔ: /

1. “oor”, “our”, “oar” (door, your, board)

2. “or” /third syllable-type/ (port)

3. “a” followed by “ll” or “l” + consonant (all, salt)

4. “au”, “aw” (autumn, law)

5. “ough”, “augh” + “t” (ought, thought, taught)

6. “war” (war, warm)

Irregular Readings: our, flour, sour, poor

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. All for one and one for all.

2. It never rains but it pours.

3. Trust me not all or all in all.

4. All roses have thorns.

· Vowel # 8 /ʋ /

1. The diagraph “oo” followed by “k” (book)

2. The letter “u” after “p, b, f” (pull, bull, full)

Irregular Readings: but, bus butter

Rare Spellings: could, should, would, bouquet, woman, wolf

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. A good beginning makes a good ending.

2. A good cook never cooks while looking into a cookery book.

3. Look before you leap.

· Vowel # 9 /u: /

1. The letter “u” in open syllables (tune)

Note: It sounds /u: / preceded by “j, r, l” (June, blue)

2. The diagraphs “eu” and “ew” - /ju: / (neutral, few) BUT: Jew, crew, flew

3. “ui” (suit)

4. The diagraph “ou” in words of French origin (group, wound)

Rare Spellings: beauty, queue, who, whom, whose, do, to, too, two

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. No news is good news.

2. Bad news has wings.

3. That’s where the shoe pinches.

· Vowel # 10 / ^ /

1. The letter “u” in stressed closed syllables (uncle)

2. “o” followed by “m, n, v, th” (come, son, love, mother)

3. The diagraph “ou” followed by “gh, bl(e), pl(e)” (tough, trouble, couple)

To memorise: “ou” + other consonants (country, courage, cousin, touch, young, southern)

Rare Spellings: blood, flood, worry, stove

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. So many countries, so many customs.

2. Don’t trouble trouble until trouble troubles you.

3. Love me, love my dog.

4. When two Sundays come together.

5. A storm in a tea cup.

6. A man is known by the company he keeps.

7. As snug as a bug in a rug.

8. As hungry as a hunter.

· Vowel # 11 /3: /

1. The letters “e, i, u, y” followed by “r” /third syllable –type/ (term, bird, fur)

2. “ear” + a consonant (earth, heard) BUT: heart, hearth /a: /

3. “wor” (work)

Proverbs & Sayings:

1. Murder will out.

2. It’s an early bird that catches the first worm.

3. First come, first served.

4. Live and learn.

5. As is the workman, so is the work.

· Vowel # 12 / ə /

1. The letter “a” in prefixes (about)

2. In suffixes “er, or, ar, our, ous” (teacher, doctor, cellar, neighbour, famous)

3. “a, o, u” when non-accented (sofa, atom, column)