Diphthongs and complex vowels
Read and spell words containing diphthongs and complex vowel patterns (ow, ou, ew, ue, ie, aw, au) and words ending in -y as a vowel sound
Suggested ages 5–6
Learning journey
Your child is building the foundation for reading — learning how letters and sounds work together, recognizing common words by sight, and developing the skills to sound out new words independently.
Evidence of understanding
- Read words with variable vowel sounds (e.g. 'ow' in 'cow' vs 'snow')
- Decode words with diphthongs (e.g. 'cloud', 'blue', 'pie')
- Read words ending in -y pronounced as /ee/ or /igh/ (e.g. 'happy', 'my')
Assessment prompt
Can Diphthongs and complex vowels read words like 'town', 'cloud', 'flew', 'claw', or 'pie' — spotting the special vowel combinations and saying the right sound for each one?
Standards alignment
Vowel digraph: ou
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraphs: ow (/aʊ/)
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraphs: ow (/əʊ/)
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraph: ue
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraph: ew
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraph: ie (/aɪ/)
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraph: ie (/i:/)
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraph: aw
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Vowel digraph: au
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1
Words ending –y
The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document · Key Stage 1