Vowel Team Syllables

Read syllables where two or more letters work together to spell one vowel sound.

A vowel team syllable uses two or more letters to spell a single vowel sound. Common teams include ai and ay (rain, day), ee and ea (feet, read), oa and ow (boat, snow), and igh (night). The team stays together in one syllable; you never split it. Look at 'rainbow'. Split it rain-bow. In 'rain', the a and i team up to say long a. In 'bow', the o and w team up to say long o.

Some teams can make more than one sound, such as ea in 'bread' and 'bead', so if one sound does not make a real word, try the other. Check whether the word makes sense in your sentence.

• 1A vowel team = two or more letters making one vowel sound.
• 2Never split a vowel team between two syllables.
• 3If one sound for a team does not make sense, try another.