Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA) Practice Test

Which of the following best describes short vowels?

1. They occur in words with open airflow

2. They do not say their own name

3. They are always found in the beginning of words

4. They are formed by adding consonants

The correct answer is: They do not say their own name

Short vowels are characterized by the fact that they do not say their own name; instead, they produce a sound that is distinct from their names in the alphabet. For example, the short vowel sound in the word "cat" is pronounced as /æ/, not as the name of the letter "A." This description captures the essence of short vowels, which contribute sounds to words without mimicking the names of the letters themselves. The other choices do not accurately describe short vowels. For instance, while vowels can be found in various positions within words, there is no rule that they must be at the beginning. Also, the notion of short vowels being exclusively associated with open airflow is misleading, as vowel sounds can be produced in different ways depending on their context and surrounding sounds. Lastly, the idea that short vowels are formed by adding consonants suggests a misunderstanding of how vowel sounds are produced, as vowels operate independently of consonants in syllables. Therefore, the best description of short vowels is that they do not say their own name.