9/2/2019 Spelling the long vowel sound /a/ a-e, ai, ei, ay

Spelling the long vowel sound /ā/: a-e, ai, ei, ay

/ā/as in ape

How to spell the long /ā/ sound:

1) In some words of more than one syllable you just need the letter a,
for example:

acorn apron alien agent basic basin data fatal

(more on this in the next Unit - Syllables: Vowel and Consonant Patterns)

2) Sometimes you need to add another letter, for example:

a-e as in snake ai as in train ay as in pray ei as in reindeer

Add e on the end. The next most common Use ay on the end of a Only a few words use ei.
Many words use a-e to way is to use ai. word. (See Unit 21 for more on
spell the long /ā/ these words)
sound.
Some examples: Some examples: Some examples:
Some examples:
ale aid day reins*
ate* aim Sunday vein*
grade paid Monday etc. veil*
made* fail hay sheik*
trade mail* lay (also sheikh)
bake sail* may reign*
brake* tail* pay neigh
shake* snail ray weigh*
stake* claim say sleigh*
male* main* way* eight*
sale* pain* clay freight
vale* chain play weight*
game plain* pray* Learn the words:
flame stain fray
frame strain tray
mane* vain* slay*
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plane* wait* stay

tape gait* sway
grape paint spray
scrape faint stray
chase waist* Learn the words:
gate* Learn the words:
grate*
plate
skate away
paste again always
taste afraid betray
waste* entail dismay
brave explain display
shave complain decay
blaze contain delay
graze detail essay
obtain portray
Learn the words: maintain relay
remain Learn the words:
Learn the words:
amaze
escape
inflate
translate ...and many more
migrate
vibrate
behave
calculate
emigrate
estimate grey
hesitate prey*
they
Learn the words: obey
convey
survey
...and many more Learn the words:

Notes:
1) Words marked * are homophones. Please see page 6.
2) Words ending in -ace are in Unit 20.

Go to next page:
test yourself in spelling the long /ā/ sound

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