Vowel Team Worksheets: Write the Missing Team

Each word prints with its vowel team left out; Word list, under More options, has a list for every team.

The sheet shows the list "List 1: ai, as in sail". Type or paste your own words to replace it.

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Made at homeroomtools.comList 1: ai, as in sailWord boxWrite the missing letters. Then write the whole word.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Spelling: missing lettersgainmainpainsailstainrailpailjailslpljlrlmnpngnstn
Made at homeroomtools.comList 1: ai, as in sailWrite the missing letters. Then write the whole word.1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.Spelling: missing lettersAnswer keysailpailjailrailmainpaingainstain
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8 words (List 1: ai, as in sail), missing letters, on 1 page and 1 page of answers, Letter portrait.

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The spelling lists

List 1: ai, as in sail 8

  • gain In gain the ai spells long a, before n.
  • jail In jail the ai spells long a, before l.
  • main In main the ai spells long a, before n. It sounds the same as mane.
  • pail In pail the ai spells long a, before l. It sounds the same as pale.
  • pain In pain the ai spells long a, before n. It sounds the same as pane.
  • rail In rail the ai spells long a, before l.
  • sail In sail the ai spells long a, before l. It sounds the same as sale.
  • stain In stain the ai spells long a, before n.

List 2: ay, as in spray 8

  • bay Bay ends in ay, which spells long a.
  • jay Jay ends in ay, which spells long a.
  • lay Lay ends in ay, which spells long a.
  • may May ends in ay, which spells long a.
  • pray Pray ends in ay, which spells long a. It sounds the same as prey.
  • ray Ray ends in ay, which spells long a.
  • spray Spray ends in ay, which spells long a.
  • sway Sway ends in ay, which spells long a.
Show all 160 words (144 more)

List 3: ee, as in jeep 8

  • feed In feed the ee spells long e, before d.
  • jeep In jeep the ee spells long e, before p.
  • keep In keep the ee spells long e, before p.
  • need In need the ee spells long e, before d.
  • peel In peel the ee spells long e, before l. It sounds the same as peal.
  • sweet In sweet the ee spells long e, before t. It sounds the same as suite.
  • teeth In teeth the ee spells long e, before th.
  • three Three ends in ee, which spells long e.

List 4: ea, as in meal 8

  • lean In lean the ea spells long e, before n.
  • leap In leap the ea spells long e, before p.
  • meal In meal the ea spells long e, before l.
  • neat In neat the ea spells long e, before t.
  • seal In seal the ea spells long e, before l.
  • steam In steam the ea spells long e, before m.
  • teach In teach the ea spells long e, before ch.
  • treat In treat the ea spells long e, before t.

List 5: ie, as in pie 8

  • cried In cried the ie spells long i, before d.
  • dried In dried the ie spells long i, before d.
  • flies In flies the ie spells long i, before s.
  • lie Lie ends in ie, which spells long i.
  • pie Pie ends in ie, which spells long i. It sounds the same as pi.
  • skies In skies the ie spells long i, before s.
  • tie Tie ends in ie, which spells long i.
  • tried In tried the ie spells long i, before d.

List 6: igh, as in knight 8

  • delight In delight the igh spells long i, before t.
  • fright In fright the igh spells long i, before t.
  • highway In highway the igh spells long i, before way.
  • knight In knight the igh spells long i, before t. The k is silent. It sounds the same as night.
  • midnight In midnight the igh spells long i, before t.
  • slight In slight the igh spells long i, before t.
  • sunlight In sunlight the igh spells long i, before t.
  • tonight In tonight the igh spells long i, before t.

List 7: oa, as in oak 8

  • cloak In cloak the oa spells long o, before k.
  • coast In coast the oa spells long o, before st.
  • load In load the oa spells long o, before d.
  • loan In loan the oa spells long o, before n. It sounds the same as lone.
  • oak Oak starts with oa, which spells long o.
  • roast In roast the oa spells long o, before st.
  • soak In soak the oa spells long o, before k.
  • throat In throat the oa spells long o, before t.

List 8: ow, as in grown 8

  • blown In blown the ow spells long o, before n.
  • flow Flow ends in ow, which spells long o.
  • grown In grown the ow spells long o, before n. It sounds the same as groan.
  • known In known the ow spells long o, before n. The k is silent.
  • own Own starts with ow, which spells long o.
  • shown In shown the ow spells long o, before n.
  • thrown In thrown the ow spells long o, before n. It sounds the same as throne.
  • tow Tow ends in ow, which spells long o. It sounds the same as toe.

List 9: oe, as in toe 8

  • doe Doe ends in oe, which spells long o. It sounds the same as dough.
  • foe Foe ends in oe, which spells long o.
  • goes In goes the oe spells long o, before s.
  • hoe Hoe ends in oe, which spells long o.
  • oboe Oboe ends in oe, which spells long o.
  • toe Toe ends in oe, which spells long o. It sounds the same as tow.
  • toes In toes the oe spells long o, before s.
  • woe Woe ends in oe, which spells long o.

List 10: ue, as in argue 8

  • argue Argue ends in ue, which spells long u.
  • blue Blue ends in ue, which spells long u. It sounds the same as blew.
  • clue Clue ends in ue, which spells long u.
  • glue Glue ends in ue, which spells long u.
  • rescue Rescue ends in ue, which spells long u.
  • statue Statue ends in ue, which spells long u.
  • true True ends in ue, which spells long u.
  • value Value ends in ue, which spells long u.

List 11: ui, as in fruit 8

  • cruise In cruise the ui spells long u, before se. It sounds the same as crews.
  • fruit In fruit the ui spells long u, before t.
  • juice In juice the ui spells long u, before ce.
  • juicy In juicy the ui spells long u, before cy.
  • nuisance In nuisance the ui spells long u, before sance.
  • recruit In recruit the ui spells long u, before t.
  • suit In suit the ui spells long u, before t.
  • suitcase In suitcase the ui spells long u, before tcase.

List 12: ew, as in newt 8

  • cashew Cashew ends in ew, which spells long u.
  • chew Chew ends in ew, which spells long u.
  • curfew Curfew ends in ew, which spells long u.
  • jewel In jewel the ew spells long u, before el.
  • knew Knew ends in ew, which spells long u. The k is silent. It sounds the same as new.
  • mew Mew ends in ew, which spells long u.
  • nephew Nephew ends in ew, which spells long u.
  • newt In newt the ew spells long u, before t.

List 13: oo, as in moon 8

  • boot In boot the oo spells the long oo of moon, before t.
  • cool In cool the oo spells the long oo of moon, before l.
  • goose In goose the oo spells the long oo of moon, before se.
  • moon In moon the oo spells the long oo of zoo, before n.
  • pool In pool the oo spells the long oo of moon, before l.
  • scoop In scoop the oo spells the long oo of moon, before p.
  • spoon In spoon the oo spells the long oo of moon, before n.
  • zoo Zoo ends in oo, which spells the long oo of moon.

List 14: oo, as in book 8

  • book In book the oo spells the short oo of foot, before k.
  • cook In cook the oo spells the short oo of book, before k.
  • foot In foot the oo spells the short oo of book, before t.
  • hook In hook the oo spells the short oo of book, before k.
  • shook In shook the oo spells the short oo of book, before k.
  • took In took the oo spells the short oo of book, before k.
  • wood In wood the oo spells the short oo of book, before d. It sounds the same as would.
  • wool In wool the oo spells the short oo of book, before l.

List 15: ou, as in cloud 8

  • cloud In cloud the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before d.
  • count In count the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before nt.
  • house In house the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before se.
  • loud In loud the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before d.
  • mouse In mouse the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before se.
  • out Out starts with ou, which spells the ow sound of cow.
  • round In round the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before nd.
  • shout In shout the ou spells the ow sound of cow, before t.

List 16: ow, as in cow 8

  • brown In brown the ow spells the ow sound of cow, before n.
  • clown In clown the ow spells the ow sound of cow, before n.
  • cow Cow ends in ow, which spells the ow sound of now.
  • down In down the ow spells the ow sound of cow, before n.
  • how How ends in ow, which spells the ow sound of cow.
  • now Now ends in ow, which spells the ow sound of cow.
  • owl Owl starts with ow, which spells the ow sound of cow.
  • town In town the ow spells the ow sound of cow, before n.

List 17: oi, as in coin 8

  • boil In boil the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before l.
  • coin In coin the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before n.
  • join In join the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before n.
  • joint In joint the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before nt.
  • noise In noise the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before se.
  • point In point the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before nt.
  • soil In soil the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before l.
  • voice In voice the oi spells the oy sound of toy, before ce.

List 18: oy, as in toy 8

  • boy Boy ends in oy, which spells the oy sound of toy.
  • enjoy Enjoy ends in oy, which spells the oy sound of toy.
  • joy Joy ends in oy, which spells the oy sound of toy.
  • loyal In loyal the oy spells the oy sound of toy, before al.
  • oyster Oyster starts with oy, which spells the oy sound of toy.
  • royal In royal the oy spells the oy sound of toy, before al.
  • soy Soy ends in oy, which spells the oy sound of toy.
  • toy Toy ends in oy, which spells the oy sound of boy.

List 19: au, as in sauce 8

  • author Author starts with au, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • autumn Autumn starts with au, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • cause In cause the au spells the aw sound of saw, before se.
  • haul In haul the au spells the aw sound of saw, before l. It sounds the same as hall.
  • haunt In haunt the au spells the aw sound of saw, before nt.
  • launch In launch the au spells the aw sound of saw, before nch.
  • pause In pause the au spells the aw sound of saw, before se. It sounds the same as paws.
  • sauce In sauce the au spells the aw sound of saw, before ce.

List 20: aw, as in claw 8

  • claw Claw ends in aw, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • draw Draw ends in aw, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • law Law ends in aw, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • lawn In lawn the aw spells the aw sound of saw, before n.
  • paw Paw ends in aw, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • saw Saw ends in aw, which spells the aw sound of paw.
  • straw Straw ends in aw, which spells the aw sound of saw.
  • yawn In yawn the aw spells the aw sound of saw, before n.

How this list was compiled: Our own selection and grouping of 160 English words by vowel team: twenty teams of two or three letters that spell one vowel sound, eight words each, with our own hints. The letters left out of every word are the letters of its team. Every word was checked by script on 2026-10-01 in two places: the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary, a record of General American pronunciation (https://github.com/cmusphinx/cmudict), where every listed pronunciation of the word must have the vowel sound its list names, and the word's own entry at https://en.wiktionary.org/, where the rhymes key or the pronunciation line must show the same sound. A word that failed either check, or that the two sources give a second pronunciation for, was left out (seen, bowl, food, tooth, look, good, oil, fault and vault among them). In the au and aw lists the dictionary's two vowels of cot and caught both count, since many American speakers say them alike. Each hint that says two words sound the same names a pair with the same pronunciation in that dictionary. Spellings are American. No published word list or reading programme was copied. Licence: own work

How it works

A vowel team is a group of letters that spells one vowel sound, such as ai in sail or igh in knight. These vowel team worksheets print eight words of one team with the team left out, under a word box.

Read the full guide

One list for each team

Word list, under More options, holds twenty teams: ai, ay, ee, ea, ie, igh, oa, ow, oe, ue, ui and ew for the long vowels, the two sounds of oo, then ou, ow, oi, oy, au and aw. Sort by list, in the same place, mixes the list on show with the next two: from List 7 it sorts oa, ow and oe, three spellings of long o.

Silent vowels worksheets: the second letter says nothing

In Lists 1 to 5, 7 and 9 (ai, ay, ee, ea, ie, oa, oe) the first letter of the team says its name and the second is silent: sail, meal, pie, load, toe. Print one as Missing letters, then have the class cross out the silent letter in each word.

  • Lists 13 and 14 are the two sounds of oo: moon, pool and goose, then book, foot and wool.
  • To print the sheet without its answers, open More options and untick Add an answer key as the last page.
  • Knight and knew start with a silent k, and the hints under the tool say which words sound like another.

Questions and answers

What is a vowel team?

Letters that work together to spell one vowel sound. Most teams are two vowel letters, such as oa in soak. Some use another letter: w in claw and grown, y in toy and spray, gh in slight.

Why does ow have two lists?

Because ow spells two sounds. In List 8 it is long o, as in grown and flow. In List 16 it is the sound in cow, town and owl. Oo has two lists for the same reason.

Do the two vowels always follow the rule that the first one talks?

No. It holds for the words of Lists 1 to 5, 7 and 9 here. It fails for teams such as au, oo, ou and oi, where neither letter says its name, so those lists are best taught one sound at a time.

Can I type my own vowel team words?

Yes, up to 20, one to a line. A typed word loses about one letter in three, picked at random, so its blank may not be the team. For typed words, Word shapes and Unscramble work the same as for ours.

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