Vowel Clash Worksheet
ESL / High School Language Lab
Vowel Clash: Short E vs. Short I
Name: Date:
Class: 10th Grade English • Sound Discrimination
Ee /É›/
Short E: "eh" Mouth Smiles
Anchor Word: BED / PEN
Drop chin slightly, pull corners of lips wide.
Ii /ɪ/
Short I: "ih" Mouth Relaxed
Anchor Word: PIN / FISH
Keep mouth relaxed, tongue high in center.
1
Sound Detective: Look & Circle the Correct Word
Look at the picture cue. Say the two words out loud. Circle the word that matches the image.
Tool for writing
pen pin
Sharp tack
pen pin
Place to sleep
bed bid
School chime
bell bill
2
Vowel Insertion: Write "e" or "i"
Write the missing vowel on the blank line to spell the word shown.
# 10
t n
number
s t
in a chair
n t
mesh goal
l d
cup top
r d
color
w n
victory
3
Sound Sort: Read & Categorize
Word Bank:
desk ship tent gift vest milk
Short E Sound (/É›/ like bed) 3 words
Short I Sound (/ɪ/ like pin) 3 words
Self Check: Say words aloud to feel your tongue and lips change shape! Page 1 of 2
ESL / High School Language Lab
Vowel Clash: Short O vs. Short U
Contrast Pair: /ɑ/ vs. /ʌ/
Focus: Lip Rounding & Jaw Drop
Oo /É‘/
Short O: "ah" Jaw Drops Down
Anchor Word: BOX / POT
Open jaw wide like at the doctor ("Say ah").
Uu /ʌ/
Short U: "uh" Quick & Relaxed
Anchor Word: CUP / SUN
Short puff of air from center of throat.
4
Sound Detective: Look & Circle the Correct Word
Look at the icon cue. Say both choices out loud. Circle the word that matches the image.
Drink cup
cop cup
Key lock
lock luck
Sky light
son sun
Cardboard
box bus
5
Vowel Insertion: Write "o" or "u"
Write the missing vowel on the blank line to complete each word.
b s
transit
p t
cooking
d ck
bird
cl ck
time
r n
move fast
r ck
stone
6
Sentence Frames: Choose & Write
Read the sentence frame. Circle the correct word and write it in the blank box.
- I ride the yellow to high school every morning.
box bus
- Please turn the key to the classroom door.
lock luck
- I use a blue to take notes in my notebook.
pen pin
Self-Rating: 😄 I got this! 🤔 Need more practice
Page 2 of 2