15 Phonics Rules for Reading and Spelling

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  Vowels in syllables

  There's at least one vowel sound in every syllable of every word.

  It can be in the middle of consonants.
  Examples: cat, jet, church, and fan– as–tic.

  Also, it can be a standalone in a syllable.
  Examples: an–i–mal and u–nit.

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  Short and long vowels

  Vowels can make different sounds depending on where they are placed in a word.

  If a consonant is after the vowel, the vowel usually makes a short sound.
  Examples: chop, cat, and ship.

  In absence of a consonant, the vowel usually makes a long sound.
  Examples: to, so, we, and be.

  If there is only one vowel in a syllable that is followed by at least one consonant, the vowel is likely to make a short sound. This is called a “closed syllable” because the consonant “closes in” the short vowel sound.
  Examples: itch, Sep–tem–ber, mas–cot, pump–kin, prin –cess, and Wis– con– sin.

  If there is only one vowel at the end of a syllable, it’s likely to make a long sound, and this pattern is called an “open syllable.”
  Examples: he, ban– jo, man–go, above, so, to, we, and bin-go.

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  Digraphs and consonant blends

  Vowels can make different sounds depending on where they are placed in a word.

  In a two-consonant digraph, the two consonants make a new sound.
  Examples: ship, chap, thin, photo, and whiz.

  When two or more consonants work together, consonant blends are formed. But unlike diagraphs, even though they are blended together, their individual sounds can be heard.
  Examples: grasp, clam, and scrub.

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  Two-vowels together

  When two vowels are side by side, the first vowel makes a long sound, similar to the sound of the letter, while the second vowel remains silent.
  Examples: seat, beach, meat, boat, rain, plain, paint, road, goat, pie, and lie.

  However, sometimes, two vowels work together to make a new sound, and it’s called a diphthong.
  Examples: boil and cloud.

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  The schwa sound

  The schwa sound is the most common sound in the English language. Any vowel can make the sound.

  The “schwa” sound is a weak uh or ih sound.
  Examples: from and final.

  However, there are words with more than one schwa sound.
  Examples: banana and apartment.

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  Silent e

  If the word has a single vowel with a consonant and an e at the end, then the e is silent, and the single vowel is a long sound.
  Examples: sale, mole, in–side, cute, wrote, mate.

  This pattern is called “silent e,” “vowel-consonant-e,” or “magic e.”

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  Bossy R

  When r follows the vowel in a syllable, the vowel is “controlled” by the r and makes a completely new sound.
  Examples: bird, car, form, germ and hurt.

  Since r bosses over the vowel to make a new sound, this rule is also called “bossy r.”

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  The f,s,z,l rule

  If a one-syllable word ends with the letters f, s, z, and l, it is usually doubled immediately following a short vowel.
  Examples: grass, stuff, shell, and fuzz. Exceptions: bus and quiz.

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  Soft g and Hard g. Soft c and Hard c

  When the letter g is followed by the vowels e, i, or y, it makes a soft sound.
  Examples: giant, gel, and gym.
  With other vowels, the letter g makes a hard sound.
  Examples: gorilla, gas, and yogurt.

  When the letter c is followed by vowels e, i, or y, it makes a soft sound.
  Examples: circus, cent, and cyclone.
  However, with other vowels, the letter c makes a hard sound.
  Examples: cot, and cat.

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  The /ch/ and /j/ sound

  When a /ch/ sound in a one-syllable word immediately follows a short vowel, it’s spelt as tch.
  Examples fetch, catch, blotch, stitch, and clutch.
  Exceptions: which, such, rich and much.

  when a /j/ sound in a one-syllable word immediately follows a short vowel, it’s spelt dge. The d in the word protects the vowel from the “magic e” rule.
  Examples: badge, dodge, bridge, hedge, and smudge.

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  Ending in ck or k

  If the /k/ sound follows a consonant, long vowel sound, or diphthong, it’s usually spelt with k.
  Examples: cake, task, hawk, and soak.

  If a one-syllable word ends with the /k/ sound immediately following a short vowel, it’s spelt with ck.
  Examples: trick, and duck.

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  Doubling

  When the word has only one syllable like win, where the short vowel is followed by a consonant, the consonant is doubled and then the suffix beginning with a vowel is added.
  Examples: winning, winner, winnable.

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  Drop the e with ing

  If the word ends with a silent e, drop the e and then add ing.
  Examples: give/giving, bike/biking, dodge/dodging.

  Also, other suffixes that start with vowels, like ed, er, able, and ous take up this rule.
  Examples: excite/excitable, grieve/grievous, hope/hoped.

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  Y rules

  To make a word plural that has a consonant that is immediately followed by y, the y changes to i, and then it adds es.
  Examples: pony/ponies, family/families, beauty/beauties, and treaty/treaties.

  To make a plural word that ends in a vowel immediately followed by y, just add s.
  Examples: boy/boys.

  The same y rules are followed for suffixes.

  If the suffix starts with i, keep the y as it is and then add the suffix.
  Examples: baby/babyish, fly/flying.

  If the word ends with a consonant followed immediately by y, the y changes to i before adding suffixes like ed and est.
  Examples: carry/carried, bury/buried, and happy/happiest.

  If there is a vowel before y, keep the y as it is and then add the suffix.
  Examples: annoy/annoying, and play/playing.

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  Plurals

  Most words are made plural by adding s to them.
  Examples: dog/dogs, coin/coins.

  However, when a singular word ends with s, x, z, sh or ch, it is made plural by adding es to it.
  Examples: glasses, brushes, classes, foxes.