Blending Sounds: Short Vowel Words

Have you ever looked at a word and wondered how to say it? The secret is blending! Blending means you say each sound in a word and then smoosh them together. For example, the word cat has three sounds: /k/ … /a/ … /t/ — and when you blend them, you get cat! 🐱

Short vowels are the letters a, e, i, o, u when they make their small, quick sound. The a in hat, the e in bed, the i in pig, the o in hop, and the u in bug are all short vowels. These sounds are super helpful because they appear in hundreds of words you will read every day!

Let's try two examples together. Look at the word sit. Say the sounds slowly: /s/ … /i/ … /t/. Now blend them: sit! Great job! Now try hop: /h/ … /o/ … /p/ — hop! You are already blending like a reading star! ⭐

The more you practise blending, the faster and easier reading becomes. Every time you see a new word, remember to look at each letter, say its sound, and then blend. You can do it — reading is an adventure waiting for you!