Vowel Alternation
Welcome! Let's explore how adding suffixes can change vowel sounds in English words. This is called vowel alternation.
Let's look at some examples:
The word "define" has a long "i" vowel sound. But when we add the suffix -ition to make "definition", the "i" changes to a short vowel sound.
Try saying "define" and "definition" out loud to hear the difference.
Now let's look at another pair:
"Invite" has a long "i" vowel sound. With the suffix -ation added to make "invitation", the "i" vowel becomes short.
Say "invite" and "invitation" aloud and listen for the vowel change.
Here are two more examples. Try pronouncing each word pair to hear the alternation:
- "Nature" (long "a" sound)
- "Natural" (short "a" sound)
- "Serene" (long "e" sound)
- "Serenity" (short "e" sound)
Let's recap:
When suffixes are added, base words can change their vowel sound in a process called vowel alternation. Pay attention to how spelling and pronunciation change between related words.
Practicing vowel alternation will help improve your English spelling and speaking skills. Let me know if you need any clarification before we continue!
In summary, adding a suffix to the end of a base word sometimes changes a vowel sound in the original word.
For example, a base word may have a long vowel sound that becomes a short vowel sound after a suffix is added.
The word crime has a long i sound, while the word criminal has a short i sound. The change in vowel sound between related words is called vowel alternation.
Practice
A. Read each sentence. The underlined word has a long vowel sound. Circle the related word that has a short vowel sound.
1. The nation put together a strong team for the national meet.
2. We are happy to reside in a community with many residents.
3. The storyteller was wise, and she shared her wisdom with us.
4. I will invite him with a hand-delivered invitation.
B. Read the words below. Draw a line from the base word to the related word that has vowel alternation.
|
Base Word |
Related Word |
|
metal |
competition |
|
repeat |
criminal |
|
compete |
reference |
|
crime |
original |
|
origin |
metallic |
|
refer |
repetition |
Answer Keys
A. Here are the related words with short vowel sounds for each sentence:
- The
nation put together a strong team for the national meet.
Circle the related word: national - We are
happy to reside in a community with many residents.
Circle the related word: residents. - The
storyteller was wise, and she shared her wisdom with us.
Circle the related word: wisdom - I will
invite him with a hand-delivered invitation.
Circle the related word: invitation
B. Here are the pairs of base words and related words with vowel alternation:
- metal
- metallic
- competition
- compete
- repeat
- repetition
- crime
- criminal
- refer -
- origin
- original