229+ Long A Words (Free Printable List)

Learn all about the long A sound, including the 8 ways to spell long vowel A: a, a-e, ai, ay, ei, ea, eigh, and ey. Learn how to teach long A and get a FREE printable list of words with long A sounds organized by spelling pattern.

Long A Words

Open Syllable Words

The letter A will say its name, or its long sound, when it is the last letter in a syllable. This is called an open syllable.

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A-E Words (Long A Silent E)

The letter A will say its name when it follows a Vowel-Consonant-e (VCe) pattern. The E is magic, stays silent, and it makes the A say its name.

That is why we hear the long A sound in these words. This spelling pattern is used at the end of base words.

Long A silent E words:

cake	age	rate	gate	awake	flame
make	lake	race	stage	slave	cape
came	case	wave	tale	whale	sale
take	safe	save	brave	date	trace
place	shape	trade	hate	shade	phrase
same	gave	plane	grade	ate	chase
name	state	cave	base	frame	pace
face	space	ape	cage	parade	escape
page	game	Jane	pale	male	create
late	blame	snake	plate	cane	became

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AI Vowel Team Words

The vowel team AI is another way to spell long A. This is a spelling that usually comes in the middle of words.

I teach my students this jingle: “A-I in the middle says /ā/.” Make sure you say the letter names “A” and “I” when saying the jingle.

It is common to teach this spelling along with the vowel team AY (keep on reading below!).

Common words with long A in the middle, using the vowel team AI:

rain	plain	sail	gain	contain
wait	paid	detail	faint	faith
afraid	laid	grain	pail	fail
main	trail	remain	jail	maid
tail	raise	chain	aid	snail
train	brain	mail	nail	strain
explain	pain	daily	claim	railroad
paint	dairy	Spain	waist	tailor

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AY Vowel Team Words

The vowel team AY is another way to spell long A, and this pattern is used at the end of base words. I use this jingle with my students: “A Y at the end says /ā/.” (Again, make sure you say the letter names “A” and “Y” when saying the jingle.)

The great thing about this vowel team is that if they hear /ā/ at the end of a base or root word, it will most likely be spelled with AY.

Common words with long A at the end, using the vowel team AY:

day	hay	bay	mayor	decay
way	stay	pray	maybe	display
away	lay	stray	always	subway
may	pay	Sunday	yesterday	sway
say	gray	highway	payment	betray
today	spray	essay	birthday	repay
play	okay	crayon	holiday	playmate
ray	clay	relay	anyway	beltway

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EI, EA, EIGH, & EY Words (Vowel Teams)

These next four vowel teams are not commonly used to spell the long A sound. Be sure students have mastered the first four most common spellings for Long A before introducing these patterns.

Words with Vowel Team EI to spell long A:

• reindeer
• rein
• vein
• veil
• reign
• beige

Words with Vowel Team EA to spell long A:

• steak
• break
• great
• yea
• breakup
• outbreak

Words with Vowel Team EIGH to spell long A:

• eight
• eighty
• eighteen
• weigh
• weight
• neighbor
• freight
• sleigh
• neigh

Words with Vowel Team EY to spell long A:

• hey
• they
• obey
• grey
• prey
• survey
• convey
• disobey

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Tips & Suggestions

• Before teaching long vowels, students should have a firm command of the five short vowel sounds, including all consonants, blends, and digraphs.
• Be sure to explicitly teach these long A patterns one at a time, in sequential order.
• Use a variety of activities to teach these long A spellings! Hands-on activities and multisensory activities are best.
• Get the rest of the printable Long Vowel Word Lists: Long E, Long I, Long O, and Long U!

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