Name:

Date: .

Phonics (Short e and Long e)

Most often the spelling pattern (ea) has the long vowel sound as in teacher. However there a
quite a few words that have the short e sound as in bed but have the (ea) spelling pattern
instead.
Think of words that have the short e sound. Write them in the columns below. Use a dictionary
if needed.
SHORTe
SHORTea
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________

Spelling the long vowel sound //: e, ee, ea , e-e, ei, ie, (ey), y
Vowel rule: When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. Example: In the word
monkeye says its name. The second one does the walking; the y is silent.

ee as in green
ea as in beach
e-e as in athlete
as in happy and (ey)
Use ee in the middle and The next most common A few words have e-e. Use y on the end.
spelling is ea.
Most of these have
Note: This is not
sometimes on the end.
more than one syllable. strong // sound. In the
Some words use ie to spell the long // sound ie as in
field chief

word monkey- is long.

ei as in receipt

One of the best known spelling rules is:

But does this rule really work? Is it true ALL the time?
The answer is: As with most spelling rules, it works MOST of the time - but not always, as in field.

Think of words that have the long e sound. Write them in the columns below. Use a dictionary if
needed.
LONG ee
LONG ea
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________
LONG e-e
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________

1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________
LONG 6 ey and 6 y
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________

LONG i-e
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________

LONG e-i
1. _______________________________
2. _______________________________
3.________________________________
4.________________________________
5.________________________________
6.________________________________
7.________________________________
8.________________________________
9.________________________________
10._______________________________
11.________________________________
12.________________________________
13.________________________________
14.________________________________
15.________________________________

Read these three sentences consisting of words that include the some of the long (e) patterns.

He saw three silly thieves stealing a lot of money.

She saw her sweet baby rabbit eat a piece of parsley.
We saw a chief chase a busy honey bee to the beach.

Can you write a couple sentences that includes some of the long "e" patterns (e, ea, ee, e-e, ie, ey,
y)? Give it your best try.
1. __________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
2. __________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________

Teacher list
EA Words (that sound like the ea in bread)
xamples:
abreast

bedspread
breakfast
deadly
beech*
displeasure
speech
feather
screech
need*
jealous
reed*
ocean
seed
weed
steadfast
bleed
sweat
cheek
thread
leek*
week*
tread
feel
wealth
heel*
peel*
leaven
reel*
steel*
short
e word
seem*
been*
health
screen
healthy
queen
breath
deep
weep
stealth
cheep*
commonwealth
creep
sheep
cleanliness
beer
cleanser
deer*
dreamt
peer*
steer
heavy
meet*
read
sweet*
leapt
street
breeze
meant
freeze
pleasure
squeeze
between
pleasant
thirteen
stealth
fourteen etc.
zealot
bee*
free
zealous
three
agree
coffee
degree
committee

The next most

A few words have e-e. Most of these have more Use y on the end.
ahead
already
head
common spelling is ea. than one syllable.
Note: this is not a
bedstead
behead
bread
strong // sound. It can
Somecopperhead
examples:
sometimes sound like a
breast
dead
Some examples:
//.
deadlock
deadpan
deaf
each
here*
angry
dreadpeach
dreadful
endeavor
these
army
head reach
heaven
instead
theme
baby
teach
gene*
berry
leather
meadow
measure
lead
breve
body
pageant
realm
sergeant
read*
cede
carry
accede
cherry
stead leaf
steady
spread
leave
concede
copy
sweater
treasure
treasury
beak
precede
curry
threat
treacherous concrete treachery
leak*
duty
peak*
compete weather
empty
treadle
weapon
weak*
complete
every
weather
lead (the metal)
squeak
delete
family
deal
obsolete
glory
heal
adhere
hungry
real*
severe
lady
long squeal
e related word
sincere
marry
interfere
memory
heal cream
dream
persevere
party
heal stream
Chinese
penalty
breathe
team*
Japanese
sorry
bean*
Portuguese
etc.
twenty
steal
clean
thirty etc.
commonweal
jeans*
very
cleancheap*
Note:
clean ear
hear*
-y on the end can also
dreamfear
suffix e.g. dust + y, sle
spear
heave
year
read feat*
ie long e sound
leap cheat
cei
field
pier*
wheat
rec
shield cashier
mean
east
rec
wield siege
pleasefeast
dec
yield shriek
conc
pleaseleast
\
brief priest
please
perc
chief fierce
steal
\
tease
con
grief pierce
zeal crease
de
belief achieve
grease
zeal
relief believe
breathe
mischief relieved
leave
niece reprieve
pea
piece*
retrieve
sea*
bier* diesel
flea

...and
many more

reason
season
...and many more

tier* hygiene
baggie
beanie
thief
ey
Words