Research has shown that the commonly taught phonics rule "a vowel in the middle of a one-syllable word is short" is accurate only 68% of the time, given that a single-syllable word has been correctly identified. A recent research endeavor, which analyzed 138,000 words listed in the "New Grolier Webster International Dictionary of the English Language," indicated that only 39% of the words could be correctly pronounced using the rule. Results suggested that the rule be reworded so it would not apply to words with vowel digraphs such as "air." Analysis of the revised rule indicated that 68% of the words could be correctly pronounced in the cases where no errors were made in identifying one-syllable words. However, children in early first grade can reasonably be expected to make a considerable number of errors in the identification process; therefore, the rule's utility is probably much lower in actual classroom situations. Given Theodore Clymer's generally accepted standard of utility for phonics rules, which requires a large enough sample of words to which a rule applies and a 75% standard frequency of application for correct results, even the reworded rule is unsatisfactory, suggesting that the rule no longer be taught. (JD)