These ‘exceptions to the rule’ are one-syllable words that end in -ild, -ilt, -ind, and -ist.

👉 Exceptions: We also hear the long i sound in many common, but irregular closed syllable words that break the rules. Since the syllables end in the single letter i, the vowel will make its long i sound. Think about words like hi, li/on, and pi/lot. The letter i by itself will say its long sound when it is the last letter in a syllable. 👉 Scroll to the bottom to download our free, comprehensive long i word list PDF! i – Open Syllable Words & Wild/Old Words All of these spelling patterns can result in the long i vowel sound. Long i can be spelled 6 different ways: i, i-e, igh, y, y-e, and ie. We pound on the table and chant, “Long vowels say their names.” My students really respond positively to this, and it helps them to remember the sounds of long vowels! I usually teach my students a little jingle to remember the sound long vowels make. Long u says /yoo/ like unicorn, OR /oo/ like r uler.Just as with all long vowels, the long vowel sound is the same as the letter name.

What is a long vowel