Missing Vowels

• 1st–3rd grade
• Ages 6–9
• Free, no sign-up

Some words lost their vowels: n_t, tr__n, bl_nd. Your child looks at the picture or listens to the word, then picks the missing vowel. Levels move from short vowel words to vowel teams like ai and oa, then to real 2nd and 3rd grade spelling words.

▶ Play

About the game

How to play

1. Look and listen. See the picture or hear the word.
2. Find the gap. Which vowel is missing?
3. Pick it. Tap a, e, i, o, u, or a vowel team.
4. Fill 10 words. Right on the first try earns stars.

For parents: what Missing Vowels practices

Missing Vowels trains kids to hear vowel sounds in the middle of words and match them to spellings, including vowel teams like ee, ai and oa. It pairs with:

• Short vowels
• Vowel teams
• Spelling lists

Common Core: RF.1.3b and RF.1.3c (vowel sounds and spellings), L.1.2d, L.2.2d (spell words).

Getting the most out of it

• Say the word slowly and listen for the middle sound.
• For vowel teams, remember: when two vowels go walking...
• Write the whole word after you fill the gap.

Games are best as a reward or a warm-up, not the main lesson. Ten minutes of play after a short lesson works better than an hour of play on its own.

More games

• Long or Short Vowel?Does the vowel say its name? Sort long and short.1st–2nd grade
• Word Ladder ClimbChange one letter at a time to climb from word to word.1st–3rd grade
• Magic ECap or cape? See how silent e changes words.1st–2nd grade

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Last reviewed: November 11, 2026

Questions parents ask