Wheeler's Speller • Lesson 88 • Student Worksheet

Wheeler's Elementary Speller • Page 49 ORTHOEPY • DIACRITICS • PHONOLOGY Student Worksheet

Student Name:

Date:

Grade / Room:

Score:

ă Short A: bat, ran, gas, tag
(Flat tongue, front of mouth)

→ →

ȧ Intermediate A: pass, class, grass, glass
(Half-way sound between ă and ä)

→ →

ä Italian A: far, star, calm, balm
(Dropped jaw, deep throat)

1 The Five Columns • Copy & Diacritic Practice: Read each word aloud, copy onto the handwriting line, and mark each a (ă, ȧ, or ä):

20 TARGET WORDS

Short Sound

bat

ran

gas

tag

Intermediate

pass

class

grass

glass

Italian Sound

far

star

calm

balm

-ask • -ast

task

mask

last

past

-ance • -aff

lance

dance

chance

chaff

2 Wheeler's Orthoepic Rule & Acoustic Discovery: Give the sound of each column aloud, then answer the questions below:

PAGE 49 DIRECTIVE

Wheeler's Teaching Note (Page 49):

“Notice that in the words in the second column a has a sound half-way between the sound which it has in the first column (ă) and the sound which it has in the third column (ä). These words are often mispronounced.”

Oral Articulation Test:

Pronounce this acoustic triad in sequence: bat → pass → far.
Feel your jaw drop slightly more for each sound! Avoid a harsh twang in grass or an exaggerated drawl.

Explain in your own words why pass is called "half-way" between bat and far: (Mouth opening & acoustic tone)

3 Dictation & Sentence Writing: Write each sentence neatly from teacher dictation or compose your own:

WRITING APPLICATION

1. Sentence with class and grass (Intermediate ȧ): (e.g., The class ran on the grass.)

2. Sentence with task, last, and chance (Intermediate ȧ): (e.g., Finishing the task was my last chance.)

3. Sentence with calm and star (Italian ä): (e.g., The calm night had a bright star.)

4. Sentence with dance and past (Intermediate ȧ): (e.g., They dance past the glass door.)