The long a sound can be spelled several ways. The magic e or final e and the open syllable are the most common ways. In addition, the long a sound can be represented in 2 vowel teams (“ai” and “ay”). Of course, there will be exceptions or odd balls- the irregular vowel team (“ei”).
Five Ways to Spell the Long A Sound
- Magic E (VCe or a_e)
- Vowel Team – AI
- Vowel Team – AY
- Irregular Vowel Team – EI
- Open Syllable – Long A
The magic E rule states when a word contains the letter “e” at the end, it is usually silent and the preceding vowel says its name (long sound), e.g., cake and date.
The vowel team rule states when two vowels go walking the first does the talking and the second vowel is silent. The combination of both an “a” and an “i” (double vowels) results in the long a sound. There are many AI words, e.g., maid, brain and paint.
As noted above, when two vowels go walking the first does the talking. The combination of both an “a” and “y” can result in the long a sound. The AY words, e.g., day and say, are not as plentiful as the AI words.
The vowel team rule states when two vowels go walking the first does the talking and the second vowel is silent. Like most things in life, there are exceptions. The combination of the vowels “e” and “i” can result in the long a sound, e.g., eight, sleigh, neigh and weigh.
An open syllable occurs when a vowel is at the end of the syllable (it is not closed by a consonant), e.g., A/pril and ha/zy.
Long A Words
The table below contains 169 long A words. The words are categorized into one of the five ways the long a sound can be spelled – Magic E Rule, Vowel Teams (2), Irregular Vowel Team and Open Syllable.
Long A Words | Category | Word Family / Sound |
---|---|---|
able | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
ace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
acorn | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
acre | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
afraid | Open Syllable Rule / Vowel Team - AI | initial sound / -aid |
age | Magic E Rule | -age |
agent | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
ail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
aim | Vowel Team - AI | -aim |
ale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
angel | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
ape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
apex | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
apricot | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
April | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
apron | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
Asia | Open Syllable Rule | initial sound |
ate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
baby | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
bade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
bail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
bait | Vowel Team - AI | -ait |
bake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
bale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
bane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
base | Magic E Rule | -ase |
basic | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
basis | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
baste | Magic E Rule | -aste |
bay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
blade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
blame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
blaze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
brace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
braid | Vowel Team - AI | -aid |
brain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
braise | Vowel Team - AI | -aise |
brake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
brave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
bray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
cage | Magic E Rule | -age |
cake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
came | Magic E Rule | -ame |
cane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
cape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
case | Magic E Rule | -ase |
cave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
chain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
chaise | Vowel Team - AI | -aise |
chase | Magic E Rule | -ase |
chaste | Magic E Rule | -aste |
claim | Vowel Team - AI | -aim |
clay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
crane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
crate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
crave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
craze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
crazy | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
dale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
dame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
date | Magic E Rule | -ate |
Dave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
day | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
daze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
detail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
drain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
drake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
drape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
eight | Irregular Vowel Team - EI | - |
enable | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
equator | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
explain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
face | Magic E Rule | -ace |
fade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
fail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
faint | Vowel Team - AI | -aint |
fake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
fame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
fate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
faze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
flail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
flake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
flame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
flavor | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
frail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
frame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
fray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
gage | Magic E Rule | -age |
Gail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
gain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
gait | Vowel Team - AI | -ait |
gale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
game | Magic E Rule | -ame |
gape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
gate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
gave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
gay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
gaze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
glade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
glaze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
grace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
grade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
grain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
grape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
grate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
grave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
gravy | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
gray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
graze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
hail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
hale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
haste | Magic E Rule | -aste |
hate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
hay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
haze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
hazy | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
jade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
jail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
Jake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
Jane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
jay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
Kate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
label | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
labor | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
lace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
ladle | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
lady | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
laid | Vowel Team - AI | -aid |
lain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
lake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
lame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
lane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
late | Magic E Rule | -ate |
lay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
lazy | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
mace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
made | Magic E Rule | -ade |
maid | Vowel Team - AI | -aid |
Vowel Team - AI | -ail | |
maim | Vowel Team - AI | -aim |
main | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
make | Magic E Rule | -ake |
male | Magic E Rule | -ale |
mane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
mate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
may | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
maze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
nail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
name | Magic E Rule | -ame |
nape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
navy | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
nay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
neigh | Irregular Vowel Team - EI | -eigh |
obtain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
okay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
pace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
page | Magic E Rule | -age |
paid | Vowel Team - AI | -aid |
pail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
pain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
paint | Vowel Team - AI | -aint |
pale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
pane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
paper | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
paste | Magic E Rule | -aste |
pave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
pay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
place | Magic E Rule | -ace |
plain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
plane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
plate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
play | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
potato | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
praise | Vowel Team - AI | -aise |
pray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
quail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
quaint | Vowel Team - AI | -aint |
quake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
quay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
race | Magic E Rule | -ace |
radio | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
rage | Magic E Rule | -age |
raid | Vowel Team - AI | -aid |
rail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
rain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
raise | Vowel Team - AI | -aise |
rake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
rate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
rave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
ray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
raze | Magic E Rule | -aze |
relation | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
remain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
sage | Magic E Rule | -age |
sail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
saint | Vowel Team - AI | -aint |
sale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
same | Magic E Rule | -ame |
sane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
save | Magic E Rule | -ave |
say | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
scale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
scrape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
shade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
shake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
shale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
shame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
shape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
shave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
skate | Magic E Rule | -ate |
slain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
slave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
slay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
sleigh | Irregular Vowel Team - EI | -eigh |
snail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
snake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
space | Magic E Rule | -ace |
spade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
Spain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
sprain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
spray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
stage | Magic E Rule | -age |
stain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
stake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
stale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
state | Magic E Rule | -ate |
station | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
stave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
stay | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
strain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
strait | Vowel Team - AI | -ait |
stray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
sway | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
table | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
tablecloth | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
tail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
taint | Vowel Team - AI | -aint |
take | Magic E Rule | -ake |
tale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
tame | Magic E Rule | -ame |
tape | Magic E Rule | -ape |
taste | Magic E Rule | -aste |
tomato | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
trace | Magic E Rule | -ace |
trade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
trail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
train | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
trait | Vowel Team - AI | -ait |
tray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
vacation | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
vain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
vane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
vapor | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
vase | Magic E Rule | -ase |
vibration | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
volcano | Open Syllable Rule | medial sound |
wade | Magic E Rule | -ade |
wage | Magic E Rule | -age |
wail | Vowel Team - AI | -ail |
wain | Vowel Team - AI | -ain |
wait | Vowel Team - AI | -ait |
wake | Magic E Rule | -ake |
wane | Magic E Rule | -ane |
waste | Magic E Rule | -aste |
wave | Magic E Rule | -ave |
way | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
weigh | Irregular Vowel Team - EI | -eigh |
whale | Magic E Rule | -ale |
x-ray | Vowel Team - AY | -ay |
Long A Worksheets
We created 30 worksheets to assist a child in learning the various ways the long A sound can be spelled.
Long A Worksheets | Long A Words |
---|---|
Magic E Worksheet 1 | lace, face, pace & race |
Magic E Worksheet 2 | cage, page & stage |
Magic E Worksheet 3 | bake, cake, make, rake, take & snake |
Magic E Worksheet 4 | came, game, name, same, flame & blame |
Magic E Worksheet 5 | made, trade & grade |
Magic E Worksheet 6 | Jane, crane, cane & plane |
Magic E Worksheet 7 | cape, gape, tape, grape & ape |
Magic E Worksheet 8 | date, fate, late & gate |
Magic E Worksheet 9 | haste, paste, waste & taste |
Magic E Worksheet 10 | Dave, cave, gave & wave |
Magic E Worksheet 11 | male, sale, scale & whale |
Magic E Worksheet 12 | chase, case, base & vase |
Magic E Worksheet 13 | daze, faze, maze, graze & blaze |
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 |
AY Worksheet 1 | bay, ray, day, say & okay |
AY worksheet 2 | hay, jay, may, lay, way & pay |
AY worksheet 3 | spray, gray, stray, pray & tray |
AY worksheet 4 | clay, play, sway, stay & x-ray |
AY worksheet 5 | gay, nay, quay, bray & fray |
AI and AY worksheet 1 | pay, paid, stay, staid, lay & laid |
EI Worksheet 1 | eight, neigh, sleigh & weigh |
Homophone Worksheet | ate, eight, way & weigh |
Open Syllable Worksheet 1 | able, acorn, also & April |
Open Sylllable Worksheet 2 | baby, lady, table & gravy |
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
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