Vowels and Consonants in English for Kids: a e i o u
English has five vowels: a, e, i, o and u. Almost every word has one. Here is each vowel’s sound with an easy word. Tap a word to hear it.
In This Lesson
- The five vowels with their sounds and pictures
- How vowels differ from consonants
- A chart of the 21 consonants with a word for each
Vowels in English with Audio
Tap a card to hear the word. Its Arabic meaning is underneath.
Game: Listen and Touch
Listen to the word, then touch its picture.
This Lesson in the App
The five vowels jump off the page in red, and Sara sings: a, e, i, o, u.
- Your child taps the red letter in every word.
- They hear a sound and find its picture.
- They read a three-letter word aloud, and Sara corrects them.
- They earn a star for every word they read.
Open the book to The Vowels page in the Level 1 extras and point your phone at the page.
Vowels in English and Arabic
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| a | صوته «أَ»: apple تفاحة |
| e | صوته «إِ»: egg بيضة |
| i | صوته «إِ» قصيرة: igloo بيت الثلج |
| o | صوته «أُ»: octopus أخطبوط |
| u | صوته «أَ» مضمومة: umbrella مظلة |
| cat | قطة: الحرف المتحرك a |
| pen | قلم: الحرف المتحرك e |
| fish | سمكة: الحرف المتحرك i |
| box | صندوق: الحرف المتحرك o |
| sun | شمس: الحرف المتحرك u |
Sentences Your Child Can Use
- a, e, i, o, u.الحروف المتحركة الخمسة.
- Cat has the vowel a.كلمة cat فيها الحرف المتحرك a.
- I can read: sun.أستطيع أن أقرأ: sun.
Parents’ Corner
- Color the vowels red in any word. Your child will see that every word has a red letter.
- Sing a, e, i, o, u, clapping on each letter.
- Start with three-letter words: cat, pen, pig, dog, sun. The middle letter is the vowel.
Common Mistakes: Vowels
Some English sounds don’t exist in Arabic, so children often get them wrong. Here’s how to help:
The letter is called “ay”, but in short words it makes the short “a” sound: cat.
In short words it makes the short “i” sound: pig.
It makes the short “u” sound: sun.
e as in pen opens the mouth a little; i as in pin is tighter. Say them side by side.
The 21 Consonants with a Word for Each
| Letter | Word | Letter | Word |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | ball | n | nest |
| c | cat | p | pen |
| d | dog | q | queen |
| f | fish | r | rabbit |
| g | goat | s | sun |
| h | hat | t | tap |
| j | jet | v | van |
| k | key | w | web |
| l | lion | x | box |
| m | moon | y | yoyo |
| z | zebra |
A 5-Day Plan for Parents
Ten minutes a day is enough. Review yesterday’s words before new ones.
- Day 1: a with apple, cat and bat.
- Day 2: e with egg, pen and bed.
- Day 3: i with igloo, pig and fish.
- Day 4: o with octopus, dog and box.
- Day 5: u with umbrella, sun and cup, then the song and the worksheet.
Printable Vowels Worksheets (PDF)
Ten different sheets: trace, match, write, word search, unscramble and cut-out cards. The full lesson is in Unit 1: The Alphabet, and the Sounds pages of the free book.
Frequently Asked Questions: Vowels
What are the vowels in English?
Five: a, e, i, o and u. Sometimes y acts as a vowel, as in my and fly.
What are consonants?
All the other letters, 21 of them, like b, c, d, f and g.
Why teach children the vowels?
Because they can’t read any word without them. Once they know the sound of a, they can read cat, bat and hat on their own.
