1. English Vowel Sounds and Colors
A Fun, Colorful Pronunciation and Spelling Guide for ESL Students
BEGIN with INTRO.
SKIP INTRO & GO TO COLORS

2. Vowel sounds are made in different parts of your mouth.
English Vowels Chart
Vowel sounds are made in different parts of your mouth.
FRONT, near your teeth
BACK, near your throat
/ iy /
beat
pit
/ uw /
boot
/ I /
/ /
/ ey /
/ U /
MIDDLE
put
bait
but
/ E /
/ ow /
Mouth
opens
Mouth
closes
pet
boat
/ ae /
/ o /
bat
pot
/ a /
OPENSay AHH!
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3. Click on a Color below to practice its
vowel sound and spellings
Front Vowels
GREEN
Back Vowels
PINK
BLUE
Mixed Vowel Sounds
BEIGE
SOOT
WHITE
PURPLE
RED
BONE
BROWN
WHAT??
BLACK
COPPER
TURQUOISE
You are HOME. Click on the HOME button at any time to come back here and choose a new color to practice its vowel sounds.
BACK to INTRO
NEXT COLOR
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4. BEIGE a + “silent e” lake, rate, cape a + “y” pay, day, relay
Click on the speaker to hear the color:
BEIGE
COMMON SPELLING PATTERNS
WORDS to LEARN and PRACTICE
a + “silent e” lake, rate, cape
a + “y” pay, day, relay
“ai” bait, train, raid
“eigh” weight, sleigh, neighbor
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5. BLACK a stack, flat, scrap, sat band, ham, plan, Japan “an” “am”
Click on the speaker to hear the color:
COMMON SPELLING PATTERNS
WORDS to LEARN and PRACTICE
a + “n” / a + “m a
stack, flat, scrap, sat
band, ham, plan, Japan
“an” “am”
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6. GREEN ee street, feet, deep ea clean, eat, beak
Click on the speaker to hear the color
COMMON
SPELLING
PATTERNS
WORDS to LEARN and PRACTICE
ee street, feet, deep
ea clean, eat, beak
ie thief, relief, believe
ei * conceive, receive, deceive
* Spelling rule: “i ” before “e ” except after “c ”
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7. RED e bed, bled, test, sell “ea” head, thread, breath
Click on the speaker to hear the color
e bed, bled, test, sell
“ea” head, thread, breath
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8. WHITE i + “silent e” kite, spike, dice ie pie, tied, identified
Click on the speaker to hear the color
COMMON SPELLING PATTERNS
WORDS to LEARN and PRACTICE
i + “silent e” kite, spike, dice
ie pie, tied, identified
igh high, light, might
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9. PURPLE ur fur, turn, burp ir first, stir, bird er teacher, eraser
Click on the speaker to hear the color
ur fur, turn, burp
ir first, stir, bird
er teacher, eraser
ear earth, pearl, heard
or doctor, operator, odor
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10. PINK i bit, spit, crisp, twist “ink” “ing” stink, string, bring
Click on the speaker to hear the color
COMMON SPELLING PATTERNS
WORDS to LEARN and PRACTICE
i bit, spit, crisp, twist
“ink” “ing” stink, string, bring
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BACK
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11. COPPER o stop, spot, forgot “aw” claw, awful, raw
Click on the speaker to hear the color
o stop, spot, forgot
“aw” claw, awful, raw
“au” author, audio, auditorium
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12. BLUE ue due, true, sue ew grew, screw, threw oo boot, scooter, troops
Click on the speaker to hear the color
ue due, true, sue
ew grew, screw, threw
oo boot, scooter, troops
u + “silent e” mute, parachute
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13. BROWN ou round, about, surround ow how, frown, downtown
Click on the speaker to hear the color
ou round, about, surround
ow how, frown, downtown
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14. SOOT oo hoof, stood, took ould would, could, should
Click on the speaker to hear the color
oo hoof, stood, took
ould would, could, should
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15. TURQUOISE oy boy, toy, enjoy oi boil, oink, hoist
Click on the speaker to hear the color
oy boy, toy, enjoy
oi boil, oink, hoist
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NEXT

16. BONE o + “silent e” tone, phone, role “oa” boat, roam, moan
Click on the speaker to hear the color
o + “silent e” tone, phone, role
“oa” boat, roam, moan
“old” gold, sold, told
“ow” tow, grow, yellow
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17. WHAT? u but, cup, stuck “ough” tough, rough, enough
Click on the speaker to hear … what??
u but, cup, stuck
“ough” tough, rough, enough
o + “silent e” love, come, money
o + “th” nothing, brother, mother
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END

18. Please come back and practice again soon!
Well done! You have learned colors, vowel sounds, and English spelling patterns.
Please come back and practice again soon!
English Vowel
Sounds and Colors
Pronunciation and Spelling Practice for ESL Students
Designed by: Li-Lee Tunceren,
ESL Instructor, St. Petersburg College
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