Sorting Long u Sounds

Ready to give your students hands‑on practice with the long u vowel?

At Smart Boarding School we’ve created a free phonics worksheet that helps early readers explore three common spellings of the long u sound—like in unicorn, new, and cube.

Introducing the “Sorting Long U Words” worksheet—ideal for Grade 1 and Grade 2 literacy centres, small‑group instruction, or homework review.

What’s inside?

A list of 15 long u words to read, sort, and discuss.
A three‑column sorting chart where students organise words by spelling pattern:

- u as in unicorn or music
- ew as in new or few
- u‑e (split digraph) as in cube or flute

Why teach the long U spellings?

Learning that one vowel sound can be written in different ways helps students:

Recognise spelling patterns and apply them in their own writing.
Read more fluently by quickly decoding familiar vowel teams.
Build strong phonemic awareness—vital for tackling new and multisyllabic words.

How to use the worksheet

Print & Prep – Hand out the worksheet with pencils, crayons, or highlighters.
Read Together – Say each word aloud, emphasising the long u sound, and highlight the letters that spell it.
Sort – Students write or cut‑and‑paste each word into the correct column on the sheet.
Review – Check answers as a class and discuss why the same sound can be spelled three different ways.

Extension ideas

Sentence Builder – Challenge students to write a sentence using one word from each spelling group.
Long U Word Hunt – Have learners search books or the classroom for more long u words and add them to the chart.
Illustrate & Label – Let students draw a picture of a favourite long u word and label it.

Why you’ll love this resource

No prep—just download, print, and teach.
Engages visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learners.
Perfect for whole‑class lessons, guided reading, literacy centres, or take‑home practice.