When learning to read, we connect how words sound to how those sounds are represented by letters. Phonics instruction helps us to make those connections. Phonics instruction teaches spelling patterns and spelling rules to help us become better readers and spellers.
Here are 15 important rules to know!
Vowels in Syllables Every syllable of every word must have at least one vowel sound. A vowel can stand alone in a syllable or it can be surrounded by consonants
Short and Long Vowels Vowels can make different sounds The sounds they make depend on where they are in a word When there's only one vowel in a syllable and it is followed by at least one consonant, the vowel usually makes its short sound When there is only one vowel and it is at the end of a syllable the vowel makes its long sound
Silent e When e is the last letter in a word and there's only one other vowel in that syllable, the first vowel in that syllable is usually long and the e is silent
Consonant Blends and Digraphs Digraph: This is when two letters represent one sound (sh, ch, th, wh, ph) Consonant blends: two or more consonants work together; their individual sounds can still be heard as they're blended together
Vowel Digraphs In a vowel digraph two vowels are side by side The first vowel is long and says its name, the second vowel is silent Sometimes, two vowels work together to form a new sound (diphthong)
R-controlled vowels When a syllable has a vowel that is followed by r, the vowel is controlled by the r and makes a new sound
The "schwa" sound Any vowel can make this sound It sounds like a weak uh or ih
Soft c and hard c, and soft g and hard g When the letter c is followed by the vowels e, i, or y, it usually makes its soft sound With other vowels, the letter c makes a hard sound When the letter g is followed by the vowels e, i, or y, it usually makes its soft sound With other vowels, the letter g makes a hard sound
The "fszl" (fizzle) rule The letters f, s, z, and l are usually doubled at the end of a one-syllable word immediately following a short vowel
Ending in k or ck When a one syllable word ends with /k/ sound immediately following a short vowel, it's usually spelled with ck When the /k/ sound follows a consonant, long vowel sound, or diphthong, its usually spelled with k
The /j/ sound and the /ch/ sound In a one syllable word, when a /j/ sound immediately follows a short vowel it's spelled dge The d protects the vowel from the magic e rule In a one syllable word when a /ch/ sound immediately follows a short vowel, it's usually spelled tch
Drop the e with -ing When the words end with a silent e, drop the e before adding -ing This also applies to other suffixes that start with vowels (-ed, -er, -able, -ous)
Doubling In a one syllable word where one short vowel is followed by one consonant, double the consonant before adding a suffix that starts with a vowel
Plurals For most words, add s to make them plural But when a singular word ends with s, sh, ch, x, or z add es to make is plural
Y Rules To make plural a word that ends in a vowel immediately followed by y, just add s When y immediately follows a consonant, change the y to i and add es Suffixes: When there's a vowel right before y, keep the y and simply add the suffix When a word ends with a consonant followed immediately by y, change the y to i before adding suffixes When the suffix begins with i, keep the y and add the suffix