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!
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
