vowel digraph

Rule Core

Vowel letter combinations (vowel teams or digraphs) occur when two or more vowels appear together to represent a single sound. A common guideline is “when two vowels go walking, the first does the talking,” but English phonics includes many historical and borrowed exceptions.

Articulation Guide

Focus on tongue height, lip shape, and vowel movement. Long vowels keep a steady tongue position and extended airflow. Diphthongs glide smoothly from one vowel position to another without interruption.

Word Analysis

• cause: au → /ɔː/, back tongue position with lightly rounded lips.
• eye: ey → /aɪ/, a clear glide from open front to high front.
• heir: ei → /ɛə/, a split vowel influenced by French origin, not a long /eɪ/.

Pitfall Guide

Avoid overapplying rules mechanically. au/aw often signal /ɔː/, while ei/ey vary by stress and origin. Loanwords frequently preserve non-standard pronunciations, making memorization and exposure essential.