Phonics Skills – Page 2

Expect Exceptions!

When letters can make more than one sound, or sometimes be silent, and a sound can be made with different spellings, we know that English is Weird. The rules are more like guidelines that give us a clue. You can almost always expect exceptions.

Below is a round-up of some of the guidelines with some exceptions that I’ve come across. Can you think of some to add?

SHORT VOWEL Variations
Flossy words – the letters f, l, & s often double after a one syllable word with short vowel. Except: When final s makes sound of /z/: is, his, as, has, was. And except: gas, yes, if, this, us, bus. Also other letters double in the words: odd, add, egg, mitt.
a can say short o – watch the dog play squash with the ball.
after w – Except: wag, was. And except: Bossy R variations (ar = /or/ in war, warm, warn, wart, swarm. Also Silent e & vowel teams are more powerful: wave, wade, waist, way.
after qu – Except: quack, aqua, square, quart. Silent e & vowel teams are more powerful: quake, equate, quail.
o can say ŭ (Schwa) – my son won a ton of money a month from the lottery. Except: on, fond, pond.
Closed syllables often have a short vowel, Except: in some words when i or o are followed by two consonants. And Except: Flossy words: roll, words that end with ck: rock, and digraphs: fish.
Also, u can = /oo/ sometimes: sugar, put, push, bush, cushion, & pull, full, bull. U =/ĭ/: busy.

VOWEL PATTERNS
Silent e – Silent e at the end makes the vowel say it’s name. Except: have, give, been, gone, lose, whose, move, shoe. See also: o = /ŭ/ (Schwa sound) in some love gloves + more, and also i before e is weird: sometimes ie steals long e like a thief.

Bossy R Variations
Silent e vs. Bossy R – Silent e wins with -are and -ire. With a wīre in your tīre, ride on the spāre to the car cāre store for sure.
Schwa Bossy R
/ER/ can be spelled different ways: The pearl is worth a dollar
AR can say /ER/: dollar, collar
AR can say /OR/: warm, warn, wart
OR can say /ER/: motor, worth, worm, work
EAR: You will learn (er) not to fear (long e/r) the bear (“air”) with a big heart (ar)
/AIR/: It may be a very bad error to shoot an arrow at the pair of bears.
IR can say a long e: spirit, mirror.

Diphthongs – Two vowels work together to make a sound that’s new. Except: journey, country, cousin, touch, laugh, taught, caught, daughter. See also: Oh, Those OUGH Words!
OU: I thought (short o) our (ow-r) chicken soup (long u) for the young (short u) soul (long o) could (oo) be about (ow) cool enough (short u) to pour (long o-r).
OUgh: Although (long o) I ate when I was through (ew) ploughing (ow) the garden, the meat I bought (short o) was so tough (short u) it made me cough (short o).
OUld: Oh you should see the mould – could, would, should =/oo/ Except: mould, shoulder, boulder, smoulder.

Vowel Teams – Two vowels work as a team and the first one likes to speak. Except: said, pleasant, learn, pear, build, sew.
EA can also be short e: bread, head, breath, thread, and also long a: great, steak, break.
OW can also be a diphthong: down, town + more.
See also I before e is weird

Vowels that vary – Tricky Y
In one syllable words, y often = /ī/ like in fly. Except: key
In two syllable words, y often = /ē/ like in candy. Except: supply, reply, rely, deny, apply, July.

CONSONANTS
Digraphs – Two consonants work together to make a sound that’s new.
/ch/ is often spelled tch after a short vowel in a one syllable word. Except: such, much, rich, which.
CH can say /SH/: the chef with a mustache poured champagne down the chute of the machine. Also, ch = /k/: ache
Consonant Variations
Hard or Soft G – G is often hard before A, O & U. With the others, a soft G will often do. Except: gift, gill, give. g before e will often soft /j/ be. Except: get, gecko, geese.
/k/ at the beginning – K takes i & e, c the other three. Except: kale, skate, koala, skull.
/k/ at the end – the k sound is often spelled ck immediately after a short vowel in one syllable words. The duck said “quack” on the deck near the slick dock. Except: multi-syllable words like zodiac, maniac.
Two sounds of s – The letter S the sound of /s/ makes when you see snakes. Hear the sound of /z/ when your nose smells a rose. Except, s = /sh/: sure, sugar, tissue issue, mission.

MULTI-SYLLABLE
Consonant-le – /ul/ -when the letter is long or tall (bdfghjklpty), it is often -le. Except: petal, bridal, global, jackal, sandal, hotel, legal. Also, c & z are often -le: circle, vehicle, uncle, article, cycle, cubicle, puzzle, drizzle.

Schwa: o can say “uh” before n, v, th – I love the other monkey. Except: on, frond, pond, drove (+more where silent e wins), broth, moth, bother.

Find more vowel sound exceptions at pronunciationcoach.blog.

The English language can be a nasty beast, but it is one that can be beat! Tame it with the sensible sequence followed by the Phonics Pow Toolkit. Learn strategies for reading: add fun with games, build skills with memorable rhymes, and use easy to follow color coding.

English is Weird

English is weird, oh yes, it is! There are vowels that can be spelled in lots of different ways, silent letters, consonants that can have different sounds, and lots of exceptions.

The English language can be a nasty beast, but it is one that can be beat.

It can be tamed with the super tools here at Phonics Pow!

One of the reasons that English is challenging to learn to read is that 26 letters make 44 sounds, called phonemes! Single letters or letter combinations create 72 different phonograms, written symbols that represent sounds. It is no wonder that reading can be difficult, when it looks like this to students:

O = ŏ in DOG and SOCK, but o = ō in NO and GOLD

And like this:

ea = “ē” in BEAN, ea = “ĕ” BREAD, ea = “ā” STEAK, ea+r = “air” BEAR

Those are just two examples of how English can be weird. Phonics terms that are important for teaching reading can be a little intimidating for those who want to help. But fear not, they will make sense as definitions are included when they are introduced!

At Phonics Pow, we use the ABC method to make sense of English. We Add fun with games, Build skills with memorable rhymes, and use Color coding in a sensible sequence to arm tutors with the weapons they need to tame this beast.

Learn more about the Phonics Pow Toolkit, how to get free word sort games and more free resources.

Smooth Beach

After learning about Consonant Digraphs with short vowels at the end of the SOUND OUT WORDS section (II.c), and about Diphthongs (III.c) and Vowel Teams (III.d), it is time to learn about words that combine these patterns! Words like…

SMOOTH BEACH!

Download a free set of activities that includes a worksheet, a word search, and a word sort. The words can be sorted two ways: by digraphs or by diphthongs/vowel teams. The SMOOTH BEACH freebie is available to download at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers. Also available is a free wordlist and set of bookmarks with consonant digraphs and vowel patterns.

Play the Smooth Beach wordsearch online.

Learn more about Word Sorts and get the free set of word sort games for the Phonics Pow Toolkit.

Sweet Treats for Phonics

Use these sweet treats to teach phonics patterns in sequence!

II. SOUND OUT WORDS
a. Short Vowels | CVC words – Milk Duds
b. Blends – 100 Grand
c. Short vowels that vary – Kisses (flossy words)
III. VOWEL PATTERNS
a. Silent e – Take Five
b. Bossy R -Star Bursts
c. Diphthongs – Mounds
d. Vowel Teams – Pay Day (Oatmeal Raisin bars are good too!)
e. Vowels that vary
-Dove (Schwa sound)
-Kind bar & Hersheys Gold (i & o can be long when followed by 2 consonants)
-Milky Way (tricky y)
IV CONSONANT PATTERNS
a. Consonant Digraphs – Nestle Crunch
b. Hard or Soft C – Ice Cube gum
V. MULTI-SYLLABLE WORDS
a. Open/Closed Syllables – Zero
b. Consonant-le – Skittles
c. Schwa – Extra gum

Learn more about the Phonics Pow Toolkit, how to get free word sort games and more free resources.

Fall For Phonics: the sound of /f/

The sound of /f/ can be spelled different ways. This is one of the ways that consonants can vary. The sound of /f/ can be spelled many ways indeed, more than three! In the following sentence, how many ways do you see?

The dolphin swam fast in the rough sea by the cliff

(f as in fast, ff as in cliff, ph as in dolphin, and gh as in rough.) The word fall belongs to the special flossy word family -all, where the letter a makes the sound of a short o before double letters -ll. In the word phonics, the ph makes the sound of /f/.

WATCH the Kids vs Phonics Video (2:47) & Jack Hartmann Video (2:16)

GH can also be /g/ when you see a ghost all in white, or no sound at all when you see the light. Learn more at A ghost with a slight cough gave a great fright.

How many times do you hear the sound of /f/ in this poem about fall?

The Fall for Phonics freebie that includes the poem, a word list, and worksheet for F variations is available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Learn more about the Phonics Pow Toolkit, how to get free word sort games and more free resources.

Chase the Sheep

After learning about Consonant Digraphs with short vowels at the end of the SOUND OUT WORDS section (II.c), and about Silent e (III.a), it is time to learn about words that have BOTH! Words like…

CHASE THE SHEEP!

This free set of activities includes a worksheet, a word search, and a word sort. The words can be sorted two ways: by digraphs or by the Bossy R vowel. The CHASE THE SHEEP freebie is available to download at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers. Also available is a free wordlist and set of bookmarks with consonant digraphs and vowel patterns.

Play the Chase the Sheep wordsearch online.

Learn more about Word Sorts and get the free set of word sort games for the Phonics Pow Toolkit.

A Ghost with a Slight Cough Gave a Great Fright: Sounds of GH

The letters GH are enough /f/ to make you sigh (silent), aren’t they just ghastly /g/?

GH sounds like /f/ when you laugh, but you must be brave…
because GH sounds like /g/ in a ghoul from the grave.
One more to see, and then you have three: GH might be silent in these:

When bats are in silent flight in the dark of the night, the sight can give you quite a slight fright.

These letters make no sound at all when it is bright, like a vampire that caught sight of the light.

a ghost /g/ with a slight (silent) cough /f/ gave a great fright (silent)

WATCH the Kids vs Phonics Video (1:23)

A word list and worksheet for GH variations is available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Learn more about the Phonics Pow Toolkit, how to get free word sort games and more free resources.

The /k/ Sound at the end of words

The /k/ sound at the end of a one syllable word with a short vowel is often spelled CK. This is one of the consonants that vary. (IV.c)

When the K sound is heard at the end of a word:

CKending

A CK is often needed after a vowel that is short. The K needs help to make it work. This is a short vowel variation that can be covered at the end of the SOUND OUT WORDS section (II.c) of the Phonics Pow Toolkit. CK is a consonant digraph (two letters that make one sound), in this case the familiar sound of /k/. Other consonant digraphs make new sounds.

CKDuck

The duck said “quack” on the deck near the slick dock.

CKspot&dot

PLAY a wordsearch puzzle with words that end in ck.

The rest of the time, a k often is fine.

milk_carton

With a consonant between it is a new task, it takes just a k so remember to ask. Drink milk, dunk a basket, or honk at an elk: the consonant means there is only a k. Artwork copyrighted by Mark A. Hicks, illustrator, www.MARKiX.net. Used with permission.

In words with bossy r, and vowel teams that are long or diphthongs, a k by itself will park. (The beak of a hawk, a look at a book, a weak croak from a throat, a stork with a fork, a dog that will bark.)

Don’t panic, but there’s one more thing to see. Some two syllable words with a short i only need c. (like a picnic in the attic, it’s a little like magic.)

WATCH videos and play a game at the -ck ending Wakelet tutorial.

Learn how to get a free set of word sort games that includes words that end with the sound of /k/. A set of anchor charts, a worksheet, and a game for the /k/ sound at the beginning and end of words is available at Teachers Pay Teachers. The Consonant Variations soccer sort game includes the ending sound of /k/, plus hard or soft c and g. Learn more about spelling the K sound from thisreadingmama.

Sounds of S

The letter S the sound of /s/ makes when you see snakes. Hear the sound of /z/ when your nose smells a rose. Letter s is one of the consonants that vary.

s = /s/ at the beginning of words: sand, sell, sip, soft, sun. It is also the sound of /s/ in beginning s blends: scuff, smell, sniff, spill, stop, swim.

s at the end of words can be either /s/ or /z/: cats /s/ and dogs /z/ need baths /s/ with suds /z/. Understanding voiced or unvoiced consonants can help when s comes after a consonant. Consonants that are voiced make a vibration in the throat which can be felt. Consonants that are unvoiced are quieter and no vibration is felt.

After letters made with a hiss or puff of air, the soft sound of /s/ is often there. In these examples s follows unvoiced consonants f, t, k, p, and th: puffs, cups, cats, sacks, paths.

After letters that make the throat buzz, the sound of /z/ is often what s does. In these examples s follows voiced consonants b, d, g, v, l, m, n, r: jobs, nods, dogs, stoves, files, rooms, pens, stars.

After vowels, sometimes s = /s/

The -ss ending flossy words above have the sound of /s/.

More words with the /s/ sound after a vowel: Fill this bus with gas.

After vowels, sometimes s = /z/

Here are some words where s = /z/ after a vowel: It is easy for boys to choose toys.

When a plural -es is added to words that end with -sh, -ch, /s/, -x, /z/, and /j/, the sound is /iz/ like in dishes, matches, classes, faces, horses, boxes, buzzes and judges.

When you sure like sugar and tissue, you hear that s can also = /sh/.

WATCH the Phonics Focus video on the sounds of s at Youtube. (5:04)

WATCH videos and PLAY online games at the Consonants That Vary tutorial at Wakelet. Some online games require flash, which is no longer supported after 12/31/2020. Learn more at The End of Flash.

Letter S is covered in Consonants that vary (IV.c) in the Phonics Pow Toolkit with a worksheet and gameboard. Learn how to get a free set of word sort games that includes the two sounds of s. A free word sort game for the letter S is available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers.

The /k/ Sound at the beginning of words

The /k/ sound at the beginning of words can be spelled with a c or a k. This is one of the consonants that can vary. This can be introduced with words that have a short vowel, adding more advanced vowel patterns as they are learned.

K takes i and e, and C takes the other three.

Some words with short vowels can begin with the /k/ sound. The kid kept the kiss. What can the cost of a cup of tea be?

Some words with more advanced vowel patterns can begin with the /k/ sound. Keep the kite. The cook baked a cute cake.

Available at the Super Tutor Tools store at Teachers Pay Teachers: A worksheet for the sound of /k/ at the beginning of words with anchor charts and word lists. Or the free anchor charts and word lists. A worksheet and game board are included in the Phonics Pow Toolkit. (IV.c) Learn how to get the free word sort games that include the /k/ sound.