Free Vowel Spelling Dictionary

One of my most favorite spelling resources I’ve created is here! It’s a Vowel Spelling Dictionary for kids. And it can help support your beginning and struggling spellers in an amazing way!

Do you have learners who struggle with those confusing vowel spelling patterns? I mean, it is craul, crall, or crawl? So many vowel patterns can be spelled more than one way!

Spelling is much more demanding than reading. So much so that strong readers can be poor spellers. Even learners up into middle school can still struggle with spelling some of the more ambiguous vowel patterns.

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*Disclosure: I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

 

Vowel Spelling Dictionary

I specifically created this spelling dictionary for my own third grade daughter who has come a LONG WAY with phonics and reading, but is still struggling with spelling patterns starting with long vowel patterns.

The vowel patterns in this dictionary are focused more on long vowel patterns and diphthongs. The only short vowel patterns included are trickier ones like some of the welded sounds or short y, like in the word gym.

As far as vowel patterns go, this is the most comprehensive list* I’ve seen for single syllable words. I combined word lists from several spelling and phonics sources including Words their Way, The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists, All About Spelling, & Saxon Phonics (grade 1).

The patterns included in this dictionary include:

• Tricky Short Vowel & Initial Schwa words- ang, ank, ea=ĕ, ing, ink, short y, ong, onk, ough=ŏ, o_e=ŭ, ou=ŭ, ung, unk, & initial schwa
• Long a Words- a_e, ai, ay, ei, eigh, _ey, & ea
• Long e Words- e_e, ee, ea, _y, _ey, final e, ie, & ei
• Long i Words- i_e, igh, _y, _ye, _uy, _i, ie, iCC, & y_e
• Long o Words- o_e, oa, oe, ow, _o, oCC, _ogue,   & _ough
• Long u Words- u_e, _ew, oo, oo_e, ui, _ue, _u,   ou, _o
• Bossy R Words- ar, ar_e, are, air, ear (3   sounds), ere (2 sounds), eir, er, eer, ier (2   sounds), ir, or, or_e, _ore, _oor, _our, _oar,   w+ar, qu+ar, ur, ur_e, _ure, & w+or
• Diphthongs & Other Vowel Sounds- ou, ow, oo,  au, aw, oi, oi_e, _oy, w+a, squ+a, _ould, _ull, _ush, & al
• Vowel Exceptions- common single syllable words   that do not fit in any of the vowel categories

*While I made this dictionary as comprehensive as I humanly could, you may still come across words your learners need for spelling. Blanks have been included in each section so you or your learners can write in words.

You can print 5-6 copies for your learners to share, if you teach in the classroom setting, or print one for each learner!

How to Use the Vowel Spelling Dictionary

1.  Encourage learners to listen for the vowel sound in the word you are spelling. (example: crawl)

2.  Ask learners to write down the word with the possible patterns that could be used to spell the vowel sound. (example: croughl, craul, crall, crawl).

3.  Choose and circle the spelling(s) that look correct to you.

4.  Look for the word in the vowel spelling dictionary** by its vowel pattern to confirm your choice.

 

**I’ve also created a NO PRINT digital Vowel Spelling Dictionary that learners can use with a tablet. This one is formatted a little differently so that the pages are in chronological order. Just download the PDF to your device. Learners can swipe through the pages to find the spelling pattern/word they need. {Blanks for extra words are not included in this digital copy.}

Scroll down to subscribe or grab a copy from the password protected page.

 

How to Print & Assemble the Vowel Spelling Dictionary

1. Click “Print on both sides of paper” and “Flip on SHORT edge” to print pages 3-36 of the document front to back. If you don’t click on “Flip on short edge,” your pages will print upside down.

2. Stack the pages on top of each other, being sure that the pages numbers located at the bottom center of each page are in order. The center of the book should lie open at pages 30 and 31 as seen in the picture above.

3. Fold vertically down the center line of the book for each page. {You’ll see a faint folding line down the middle of each page.}

4. Staple the center with a long-arm stapler.

 

Subscribe below to grab either {or both} the print and no print vowel spelling dictionaries!

 

 

Enjoy teaching!
~Becky