Short vowels PDF download free - worksheetszone - Free Printable

Let's solve this "Short Vowels" worksheet step by step.

Goal:

Identify which word in each row has the short vowel sound. Then, you would color the bubble next to that correct answer.

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We'll go through each question and determine which word contains a short vowel (not a long vowel or diphthong).

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1. act, snail, snake, whale

- act → /æ/ → short a ✔
- snail → /eɪ/ → long a
- snake → /eɪ/ → long a
- whale → /eɪ/ → long a
✔ Answer: act

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2. cute, bed, puma, blue

- cute → /juː/ → long u (or "oo" sound)
- bed → /ɛ/ → short e ✔
- puma → /juː/ → long u
- blue → /uː/ → long u
✔ Answer: bed

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3. comb, goat, dig, geese

- comb → /ʌ/ → short o ✔
- goat → /oʊ/ → long o
- dig → /ɪ/ → short i
- geese → /iː/ → long e
Wait — let’s check:
- dig → /dɪɡ/ → short i ✔
But wait — the question is asking for the short vowel sound — so both comb (short o) and dig (short i) have short vowels.

But only one can be chosen per row.

Let’s re-evaluate:
- comb → /kəm/ → actually pronounced with a schwa /ə/, not short o. But sometimes taught as short o. However, it's not a clear short vowel.
- dig → /dɪɡ/ → short i ✔
- goat → long o
- geese → long e

So dig has a clear short vowel (short i).
✔ Answer: dig

> Note: "comb" has a schwa, not a true short vowel. So dig is better.

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4. cop, deer, eel, sheep

- cop → /kɑp/ → short o ✔
- deer → /dɜːr/ → long e (or er sound)
- eel → /iːl/ → long e
- sheep → /ʃiːp/ → long e
✔ Answer: cop

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5. eagle, bug, maid, fail

- eagle → /ˈeɪɡl/ → long a
- bug → /bʌɡ/ → short u ✔
- maid → /meɪd/ → long a
- fail → /feɪl/ → long a
✔ Answer: bug

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6. bat, leap, heal, seam

- bat → /bæt/ → short a ✔
- leap → /liːp/ → long e
- heal → /hiːl/ → long e
- seam → /siːm/ → long e
✔ Answer: bat

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7. reap, cap, goat, deer

- reap → /riːp/ → long e
- cap → /kæp/ → short a ✔
- goat → /goʊt/ → long o
- deer → /dɜːr/ → long e
✔ Answer: cap

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8. cute, tiger, green, pen

- cute → /kjuːt/ → long u
- tiger → /ˈtaɪɡər/ → long i (in "ti")
- green → /ɡriːn/ → long e
- pen → /pɛn/ → short e ✔
✔ Answer: pen

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Final Answers:

| # | Correct Answer |
|---|----------------|
| 1 | act |
| 2 | bed |
| 3 | dig |
| 4 | cop |
| 5 | bug |
| 6 | bat |
| 7 | cap |
| 8 | pen |

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Summary of Short Vowel Sounds:

- act – short a
- bed – short e
- dig – short i
- cop – short o
- bug – short u
- bat – short a
- cap – short a
- pen – short e

> 🔍 Tip: A short vowel is usually when the vowel makes its basic sound (like “a” in “cat”, “e” in “bed”, etc.), not a long vowel sound like in “name” or “go”.

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✔ Instructions: For each number, color the circle next to the correct word listed above.

Let me know if you'd like a printable version or help coloring it!