When learning English spelling, you often see two vowels together that make just one sound. This is called a vowel digraph. One of the most common vowel digraphs is “ea.” It appears in many everyday words and can be pronounced in different ways.
Let’s learn how “ea” works!
Vowel Digraph “ea”
What is the Vowel Digraph “ea”?
A vowel digraph is when two vowels come together to make one sound. In the digraph “ea,” the letters “e” and “a” work together as a team.
However, unlike many digraphs that have only one sound, “ea” can be pronounced in several ways. You will see it often in everyday English words.
How is “ea” Pronounced?
1️⃣ “ea” = /iː/ Sound
This is the most common pronunciation of “ea.” It sounds like the letter “E.”
Examples:
-
eat /iːt/
-
sea /siː/
-
read (present tense) /riːd/
-
mean /miːn/
-
team /tiːm/
See in the picture how /iː/ appears when spoken naturally.
Play the example and feel how the /iː/ sound starts in “see.”
Tip: If you see “ea” in the middle or end of a word, it often says /iː/.
2️⃣“ea” = /e/ Sound
In some words, “ea” makes the /e/ sound, like the “e” in red.
Examples:
-
bread – /bred/
-
head – /hed/
-
dead – /ded/
-
health – /helθ/
Take a look at the illustration that demonstrates the shape for /e/.
Listen and notice how gently the /e/ sound begins “bed.”
Tip: You often find this pronunciation before d, th, or l.
3️⃣“ea” = /eɪ/ Sound
This is less common, but you’ll still see it.
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great /ɡreɪt/
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break /breɪk/
-
steak /steɪk/
Check the example image to understand how /eɪ/ should look.
Pay attention to the audio and hear how the /eɪ/ sound is pronounced in “say.”
Tip: There aren’t many words with this pronunciation, so it helps to memorize them.
Words with Vowel Digraph “ea”
Words with “ea” = /iː/ Sound
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| eat | /iːt/ |
| seat | /siːt/ |
| meat | /miːt/ |
| beat | /biːt/ |
| heat | /hiːt/ |
| neat | /niːt/ |
| cheat | /tʃiːt/ |
| please | /pliːz/ |
| teach | /tiːtʃ/ |
| reach | /riːtʃ/ |
| each | /iːtʃ/ |
| team | /tiːm/ |
| dream | /driːm/ |
| cream | /kriːm/ |
| stream | /striːm/ |
| beam | /biːm/ |
| mean | /miːn/ |
| clean | /kliːn/ |
| lean | /liːn/ |
| peak | /piːk/ |
| leaf | /liːf/ |
| weak | /wiːk/ |
| leak | /liːk/ |
| speak | /spiːk/ |
| seal | /siːl/ |
| heal | /hiːl/ |
| steal | /stiːl/ |
| deal | /diːl/ |
| reason | /ˈriːzən/ |
| season | /ˈsiːzən/ |
| leader | /ˈliːdər/ |
| reader | /ˈriːdər/ |
| eager | /ˈiːɡər/ |
| eagle | /ˈiːɡl/ |
| east | /iːst/ |
| easy | /ˈiːzi/ |
| eaten | /ˈiːtən/ |
| reveal | /rɪˈviːl/ |
| appeal | /əˈpiːl/ |
| repeat | /rɪˈpiːt/ |
| defeat | /dɪˈfiːt/ |
| increase | /ɪnˈkriːs/ |
| decrease | /ˈdiːkriːs/ |
| peace | /piːs/ |
| least | /liːst/ |
| yeast | /jiːst/ |
| beneath | /bɪˈniːθ/ |
| cheap | /tʃiːp/ |
| beak | /biːk/ |
Words with “ea” = /e/ Sound
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| head | /hed/ |
| bread | /bred/ |
| dead | /ded/ |
| lead (metal) | /led/ |
| read (past) | /red/ |
| spread | /spred/ |
| thread | /θred/ |
| tread | /tred/ |
| breath | /breθ/ |
| health | /helθ/ |
| wealth | /welθ/ |
| deaf | /def/ |
| steady | /ˈstedi/ |
| ready | /ˈredi/ |
| sweater | /ˈswetə(r)/ |
| weapon | /ˈwepən/ |
| heaven | /ˈhevən/ |
| jealous | /ˈdʒeləs/ |
| measure | /ˈmeʒə(r)/ |
| pleasure | /ˈpleʒə(r)/ |
| treasure | /ˈtreʒə(r)/ |
Words with “ea” = /eɪ/ Sound
| Word | IPA |
|---|---|
| break | /breɪk/ |
| breakable | /ˈbreɪkəbl/ |
| breakage | /ˈbreɪkɪdʒ/ |
| breakout | /ˈbreɪkaʊt/ |
| breakup | /ˈbreɪkʌp/ |
| steak | /steɪk/ |
| steakhouse | /ˈsteɪkhaʊs/ |
| great | /ɡreɪt/ |
| greatly | /ˈɡreɪtli/ |
| greatness | /ˈɡreɪtnəs/ |