Mastering Vowel Sounds: Short vs. Long Vowels Vowels are crucial in English because they form the core of words and shape how we pronounce and understand them. In British English, there are twelve main vowel sounds, which are split into short vowels and long vowels. Each sound is made with a specific mouth and tongue position, affecting how clearly and distinctly words are spoken. Here’s a list of these sounds: /æ/ as in cat /ɛ/ as in bed /ɪ/ as in sit /ɒ/ as in dog /ʌ/ as in cup /iː/ as in seat /ɑː/ as in car /ɔː/ as in door /uː/ as in food /ɜː/ as in bird /aɪ/ as in fly /əʊ/ as in go Short Vowels Short vowels are quick and concise. Here's a list of the primary short vowel sounds and how to pronounce them: /æ/ as in cat – Mouth open wide, like a quick “a” sound. /ɛ/ as in bed – Mouth slightly open, similar to a quick “eh” sound. /ɪ/ as in sit – Mouth slightly open with the tongue high but relaxed. /ɒ/ as in dog – Mouth open and rounded, akin to a soft “aw” sound. /ʌ/ as in cup – Mouth open, creating a short “uh” sound. Long Vowels Long vowels are extended and often resemble the letter names. Here are the main long vowel sounds: /iː/ as in seat – Mouth spread, making the “ee” sound as in “see”. /ɑː/ as in car – Mouth open and tongue low, like a long “ah” sound. /ɔː/ as in door – Mouth open and rounded, like a long “aw” sound. /uː/ as in food – Mouth rounded, creating the “oo” sound as in “moon”. /ɜː/ as in "fur" – Mouth slightly open, a sound between “ur” and “er”. Getting a good grasp of these vowel sounds enables you to boost your pronunciation and your language skills. Additionally, being able to differentiate between short vowels and long vowels really helps you speak more clearly and even understand others better. It makes expressing yourself and being understood in English much easier.