Ou or Ow, Use the Rule
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Ou or Ow, Use the Rule" is written for 2nd Grade (Ages 7-8), and it covers Common Core RF.2.3.B. If your little one is a year younger but already steady on vowels, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and diphthongs never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.
2nd grade phonics worksheet: use a rule about ou and ow to finish 10 words like cloud, couch and allow, then write each word. Answer key included. Part of our diphthongs vowels collection. Aligned to Common Core standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Say each word and have your child listen for the sliding sound. When two spellings make the same sound, talk about where each one usually sits in a word. Check with the answer key.
What students will practice
- Students will read a rule about where ow and ou usually sit in a word.
- Students will write ou or ow to finish words like cl_d, sh_t, c_ and all_.
- Students will write whole words such as cloud, couch, now and mouth on the lines.
Curriculum Links
Common Core State Standards
Reading: Foundational Skills · 2nd Grade
Standard: Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
View all RF.2.3.B worksheets →Find this in the curriculum
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FAQ
How do I use this diphthongs worksheet?
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Say each word and have your child listen for the sliding sound. When two spellings make the same sound, talk about where each one usually sits in a word. Check with the answer key.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Use a rule about ou and ow to finish 10 words like cloud, couch and allow, then write each word. A diphthong is a vowel sound that slides, like the sound in out. The letters ou and ow both spell it. The directions on the page read: Read the rule. Write ou or ow on the short line to finish each word. Then, write the whole word on the long line. An answer key is included.
Can I use this diphthongs worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 2nd Grade vowels, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with diphthongs. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
What vowel sounds are on these sheets?
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The sliding sounds in out and cow, coin and boy, and the sound in August and saw. The set also covers the two sounds of oo, as in moon and book.
Why does ow have two sounds?
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Ow can say the sound in cow or the long o in snow. The ou or ow sort asks children to circle the ow words that say long o, which helps them try both sounds when reading a new word (RF.2.3.E).
When do you use oi and when oy?
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Oi usually comes in the middle of a word, like coin and soil, and oy at the end, like toy and enjoy. Children trace this rule or read it in a rule box, then use it to finish words like moist and destroy. A few words, like royal and oyster, break it.
Is there an answer key for each worksheet?
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Yes. All 19 diphthong sheets have an answer key.
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