1. ee

The 'ee' spelling can occur in the middle or end of a word.

a. keep /kip/

 
 

b. free /fri/

 
 

c. seem /sim/

 
 

2. ea

The 'ea' spelling can be used to spell the 'long e' /i/ or 'short e' /ɛ/ (as in the word 'dead' /dɛd/).

a. each /iʧ/

 
 

b. dream /drim/

 
 

c. tea /ti/

 
 

3. ie_e

a. piece /pis/

 
 

b. grieve /griv/

 
 

c. achieve /əʧiv/

 
 

4. ie

The 'ie' spelling can also be pronounced as the 'long i' /ɑɪ/, as in the word 'pie' /pɑɪ/, or even occasionally as two adjacent vowel sounds, as in the words 'quiet' /kwɑɪət/ and 'science' /sɑɪəns/.

a. brief /brif/

 
 

b. priest /prist/

 
 

c. field /fild/

 
 

5. -y

a. happy /hæpi/

 
 

b. body /bɑdi/

 
 

c. pony /poʊni/

 
 

6. -e

The '-e' spelling is pronounced as the /i/ only in single-syllable words where the 'e' is the final and only vowel in the spelling of the word.

a. me /mi/

 
 

b. we /wi/

 
 

c. she /ʃi/