Irregular Vowels

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Irregular Vowels

Sometimes, the basic rules of phonics do not apply. Each of these instances must be memorized. Common examples include, but are not limited, to:

• "igh" /aɪ/ as in high or sight
  
• "-ng" /ɪŋ/, /æŋ/, /ʌŋ/ as in sing, song, sung
  
• "ost" /oʊ/ as in most (but not "lost" or "cost")
  
• "ow" /oʊ/, /aʊ/ has two different sounds as in low, and cow
  
• "ed" /ət/, /d/, /t/ has three different sounds as in lifted, played, and walked
  
• "oi" /oɪ/ does not follow the two vowels rule, e.g., moist or boil.
  
• "oo" /ʊ/, /u:/ has two different sounds, as in book and loose.
  
• "ous" /əs/ as in nervous.
  
• "au" /ɑ:/ as in fault or haul
  
• "-sion", "-tion", and "-cion /ʃən/ propulsion, institution, deviation, suspicion
  
• "augh" /ɑ:/, /ӕf/ as in daughter, and laugh
  
• "ough" /ɑ:/, /ɑ:f/, /ʌf/, /aʊ/, /oʊ/, /u:/ (it has at least six different sounds in American English), as in thought, cough, tough, bough, thorough, and through
  
  
  

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