Long Vowel Words with 'eigh' Making the /eɪ/ Sound

Understanding words that contain the 'eigh' letter combination is an important step in mastering English spelling patterns. This vowel team creates the long 'a' sound (/eɪ/) and appears in many common English words. Teachers and parents can use these words to help students recognize and understand this consistent spelling pattern.

Words with 'eigh' Making the Long A Sound

Here's a carefully curated list of words featuring the 'eigh' spelling pattern:

weigh
weight
neigh
sleigh
eight
eighty
eighteen
freight
freighter

Educational Standards Alignment

This word list aligns with several Common Core Standards for English Language Arts. Specifically, it supports:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.D: "Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words"
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.F: "Use spelling patterns and generalizations in writing words"

These standards are particularly relevant because the 'eigh' spelling pattern represents a consistent sound-spelling relationship that students can learn and apply to both reading and writing. When students understand that 'eigh' reliably produces the /eɪ/ sound, they can use this knowledge to decode unfamiliar words and improve their spelling accuracy.

Teaching Suggestions

When introducing these words, it's helpful to point out that the 'eigh' combination consistently produces the same sound across different words. Students can benefit from seeing how this pattern appears in both simple words like "eight" and more complex derivatives like "eighteen" and "eighty." This builds understanding of how spelling patterns work consistently even as words become more complex.

The words in this list range from basic number words that younger students encounter frequently (eight, eighteen) to more sophisticated vocabulary that might appear in upper elementary texts (freight, freighter). This variety allows teachers to differentiate instruction while maintaining focus on the same spelling pattern.

Practice Activities

These words can be incorporated into various learning activities: - Word sorting exercises - Spelling pattern recognition - Vocabulary development - Reading comprehension passages - Writing exercises

Create a worksheet using words from this list

Additional Resources

Teachers and parents may want to pair these words with other long 'a' patterns (such as 'ay' and 'ai') to help students understand the various ways this sound can be spelled in English. This comparative approach helps develop a deeper understanding of English orthography.

Remember that repeated exposure and practice with these words will help students internalize this spelling pattern and apply it confidently in their reading and writing.