Phonics Rules

A set of vocabulary flashcards covering basic phonics rules, including consonant blends, digraphs, vowel patterns, and the FLOSS rule.

Digraphs

2-3 consonants that make 1 sound (e.g., sh, ch, th, wh, ph, ck, tch, dge).

Initial Blends

2-3 consonants that "blend" together at the start of a word, but they keep their sounds (e.g., sc, sk, sl, sm, sn, sp, st, sw, str, spr, br, cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, spl).

Final Blends

2-3 consonants that "blend" together at the end of a word, but they keep their sounds (e.g., ct, ft, lt, nt).

FLOSS Rule

When a 1 syllable word with 1 short vowel ends in F, L, S, or Z, you double the final letter (e.g., ff, ll, ss, zz).

Welded Sounds (-ng and -nk)

Phonetic patterns occurring when -ng or -nk are next to a vowel, often changing the sound of the vowel; these are often taught in 1 chunk (e.g., ank, ink, onk, unk, ang, ing, ong, ung).

Common Suffixes

Common endings that add or change the meaning of the word (e.g., s, es, ing, ed, er, est).

Short Vowels (Closed - CVC)

Words with a consonant-vowel-consonant pattern and a short vowel sound (e.g., cat, pet, sit, hot, bug).

Long Vowels (Open - CV)

Words with a consonant-vowel pattern where the vowel has a long sound (e.g., ba-by, he, hi, no, mu-sic).

VCe (Magic e)

A pattern where the -e at the end of a word is silent and "kicks" the preceding vowel to make it say its name or long sound (e.g., cake, dime, cone, cute, eve).

r-controlled

Vowel patterns where the "r" influences the sound of the vowel (e.g., ar, or, er, ir, ur).

Common Vowel Teams

Vowel patterns that together make 1 sound—specifically the long vowel sound of the first vowel (e.g., ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow).

Other Vowel Teams

2 vowels that together make 1 entirely different sound (e.g., au, oi, ou, oo, aw, oy, ew, igh, ue).

Y as a Vowel (Long i)

The sound Y makes at the end of 1 syllable words when there is no other vowel (e.g., sky, try).

Y as a Vowel (Long e)

The sound Y makes at the end of 2 syllable words (e.g., happy, funny).