AI Words
The combination of the vowels “a” and “i” result in a long a sound. The vowel team rule states that when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking. As a result, the first vowel says its name and the second vowel is silent. Our elementary school’s spelling program incorporates AI words, that make the long a sound.
AI Spelling Words
The table below was compiled using the following word families: -aid, -ail, -aim, -ain, -aint, -aise and -ait. It contains over 60 AI words that make the long A sound.
| AI Words | Word Family |
|---|---|
| laid | -aid |
| maid | -aid |
| paid | -aid |
| raid | -aid |
| afraid | -aid |
| braid | -aid |
| ail | -ail |
| bail | -ail |
| fail | -ail |
| Gail | -ail |
| hail | -ail |
| jail | -ail |
| -ail | |
| nail | -ail |
| pail | -ail |
| quail | -ail |
| rail | -ail |
| sail | -ail |
| tail | -ail |
| wail | -ail |
| detail | -ail |
| flail | -ail |
| frail | -ail |
| snail | -ail |
| trail | -ail |
| aim | -aim |
| claim | -aim |
| maim | -aim |
| gain | -ain |
| lain | -ain |
| main | -ain |
| pain | -ain |
| rain | -ain |
| vain | -ain |
| wain | -ain |
| brain | -ain |
| chain | -ain |
| drain | -ain |
| explain | -ain |
| grain | -ain |
| obtain | -ain |
| plain | -ain |
| remain | -ain |
| slain | -ain |
| Spain | -ain |
| sprain | -ain |
| stain | -ain |
| strain | -ain |
| train | -ain |
| faint | -aint |
| paint | -aint |
| saint | -aint |
| taint | -aint |
| quaint | -aint |
| raise | -aise |
| braise | -aise |
| chaise | -aise |
| praise | -aise |
| bait | -ait |
| gait | -ait |
| wait | -ait |
| strait | -ait |
| trait | -ait |
-AI Words Worksheets
We offer 7 FREE -AI words worksheets to help your child practice each word.
| AI worksheet 1 | laid, raid, staid, maid, paid & braid |
| AI worksheet 2 | hail, mail, tail & pail |
| AI worksheet 3 | jail, bail, fail & wail |
| AI worksheet 4 | Gail, quail, flail & trail |
| AI worksheet 5 | rail, nail, sail & snail |
| AI worksheet 6 | gain, main, pain, rain & vain |
| AI worksheet 7 | chain, brain, plain, grain & train |
Source: Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. (2006). The Reading
Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. San Francisco, CA: Jossey Bass