Phonics
Phonics is how we read by SOUND. Every letter (or pair of letters) makes a sound. When we put the sounds together, we hear the word. C-A-T says 'cat'. Once you know your letter sounds, you can read almost any word.
Worked examples
Sound it out: c-a-t. What word is it?
/k/ /a/ /t/ — blend the three sounds together to hear 'cat'.
Answer: cat
Sound it out: s-u-n. What word is it?
/s/ /u/ /n/ — blend the sounds: 'sun'.
Answer: sun
Tips
- •Stretch each sound out — /sssss/ /uuuuu/ /nnnnn/ — then say it fast.
- •Look at the first letter to get going.
- •Some letters team up (like 'sh', 'ch', 'th') and make one new sound.
- •If a word doesn't make sense, check the vowel sound and try again.
Key words
phonicssoundletterblendvowel