hear /ow/ write ou or ow

ou cloud

This is the /ow/ sound

When you see ou at the start or middle of a word or syllable, it says ‘ow’ (out, house, cloud).

ou is a vowel team called a dipthong — 2 vowels that make one sliding sound

practice ou ow

ow owl

This is the /ow/ sound

/ow/ at the end of a word or syllable, is spelled ‘ow’ (cow, pow/er).

Special rule:
If the word rhymes with down (frown, clown, town)
or owl (howl, towel, growl) we usually use ow.

ow is a vowel team called a dipthong — 2 vowels that make one sliding sound

hear /oy/ write oi or oy

oi oink

This is the /oy/ sound

/oi/ in the middle or start of a word or syllable, is spelled ‘oy’ (oil, soil, point).

oi is a vowel team called a dipthong — 2 vowels that make one sliding sound

oy toy

This is the /oy/ sound

/oi/ at the end of a word or syllable, is spelled ‘oy’ (boy, toy, joy). (video for ‘oy’ coming soon)

oy is a vowel team called a dipthong — 2 vowels that make one sliding sound

practice oi oy

hear /aw/ write aw or au

aw draw

The aw spelling can be at the start (awful), middle (prawn) or end (paw) of a word. It is also often used before the letters l and n, for example: crawl and dawn (raw, claw, straw, yawn, prawn).

aw is a vowel team called a dipthong — 2 vowels that make one sliding sound

au sauce

The au spelling is usually in the middle of a word (Paul, cause, fault, haunt, haul), but sometimes at the start (August, autumn), but never at the end of a word.

au is a vowel team called a dipthong — 2 vowels that make one sliding sound.

practice aw au