there are some links that helps you know much more: http://farsi.tardid.net/2009/02/13/vowels-in-persian/ shortly i tell you if it would be useful for you: vowels are six in persian divided into two parts:1-short vowels 2-long vowels 1-short vowels are pronounced very short like pronounce it in english. [a],[e],[o] these three are pronounced very short. 2-they are the as short vowels but only difference is in pronunciation that they are pronounced longer.[آ،ا]=(aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa),[ی]=(eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee),[و]=(oooooooooooo) but you say that how we can recognize it in the sentence: easily only remember the sounds like you do in English. then study and practice a lot as much you'll do all pronunciation. i ex-amplify some words for you: 1-for short vowels: a) small sound very short pronounced[َ ]=(A)...example in حرف pronounced [harf] in english means letter or one alphabet. here you know pronounce that as {harf} shortly. in short vowels you can not see the vowels in the word it's only in the sound or in your pronunciation which you shortly pronounce [a] b) small sound very short pronounced[ِ ]=(e)...example in عشق pronounced [ishq] in english means love. here you pronounce the vowel [e] but you cannot see it in the word only that you can feel it in your sound as [ishq]. that tone is like coming down [ishq]. c) small sound very short pronounced[ُ ]=(o)... example in او pronounced [o]in english means [he]. here you do not see the mark " ُ " but you pronounce it as oo=means he in english 2- second is long vowels: a) long pronounced as[آ،ا]=(aaaaaaaaaa)...example in the word آب pronounced as [aaaaab] means water in english. here you can see the vowel in the word, so it's easy to recoqnize. whenever you saw like this vowel in the sentence pronounce it as [aaaa]. b) long pronounced as[ی]=(eeeeeeeeeeeeee]...example in the word این pronounced as [eeeeen] in english means [this]. and you can see it in the word [این] in the second letter. c)long pronounced as

There are some books for beginners that you can use. Also, try watching some movies or some audio CD, some books have been made to audio, it may help you. I bought Rosetta Stone Persian package for my cousin & the Japanese collection for myself. It is very helpful.

hi if ur not familiar with words in Persian, fisrt you need to read some texts having vowel indicators. There is no short cut... Just you need to learn words with vowel indicators, only then you will be able to read the materials your trying to read at the moment. Do let me know if i cn be of any help