From the Read with Dot series
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Phonic Sense
Vowels
Short & Long Vowel Words
Word Groups
Consonants
Combining Sounds: g, h, w, y, r, l, s, t, qu-, -ng, -nk
Other Rules
th – th
Odd Spellings
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
Phonic Sense
YouTube | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
These draw attention to certain vowels and letter combinations before they are covered by listed rules. The first section is for phonetic sounds, the second is for syllable count. The aim is to build familiarity to make the rules easier to learn. Writing is vital in recognizing the letters. Each sentence should be written and recited from memory, with memory jogs and prompting.
Teaching tip: Start memorizing and writing these after finishing the ‘Basic’ Print Letters a-z in the Handwriting curriculum. For use at home before kindergarten, post and read/write daily, a new line each week.
An egg is odd upon an amp.
Be by me, my shy shoe fly.
Go so slow you too moo to the zoo.
Try to fly dry, but don’t dare you cry.
Yell at the bell to sell a bill by the sill.
Mull a dull poll to roll by the troll.
Rain won’t paint straight on a gate.
Beige veils teach clean jeans to bleach.
Deep sheep teeth meet and then sweep.
Leisure is neither weirder nor seizure.
Quick jump kick start gucky quirky jelly.
Jack lacks lion lillies and vanilla violets.
Zig zag zip zap zax rax lax.
Fries lie tied to the pie.
Fruit juice suits bruises and cruises.
Cheesy chicken chase shellfish in the kitchen.
“Stop the stink,” the Britts told the brats.
The skunk king drank until his skin stank pink.
The sinking swan thinks to wink,
but swim, swam, swum, until it sunk.
Watch Walter wash the watermelon walker.
Call a fall to stall the ball.
Far cars bar par.
Bears care fair for their pears.
Her sir purred, “Hire the buyer, sire.”
Pure cures surely endure.
Coy Roy Boy toiled the royals to boil the coil.
Could you? Should you? Would you?
Could a roofer cook soot shook from the brook?
Youth groups toured and couped soup.
Spoons soon fool school in the moon pool.
Shout out your snout.
Icy cycles center city circles.
Giant ginger imagines huge gymnasiums.
Arouse and rouse the spouse grouse.
Dawn taught the lawn and fraught naught.
How sows bow now to the cows.
Knights wait straight by night.
Row low to show what you know.
Due dew blew true blue hues.
Stay all day to play in the rays.
A lucky baby eats yummy honey.
The fox trots tricks on the rocks.
Throw dough through the slough.
A conscious musician envisions decision.
Social nations hold impartial discussions.
An exceptional spectical expects September to be hectical.
Syllable Clap-Along
Count each syllable.
One, two, three, four, five, six…
Seven double couple trouble bubble.
Eight, nine, ten…
Eleven, syllables anymore anyhow amazing everywhere!
Twelve, join me in this fun count game.
Thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen…
Seventeen, there are three, all over, all again.
Eighteen, nineteen, twenty.
Numbers, bumblers, humming hummers.
Thinking, counting, clapping, quickly jiffy, sappy slapping!
Heavenly, friendlily, happily, gratefully, splendidly; count all three!
Twenty-one, thirty-three, forty-four, fifty-five, sixty-six…
Seventy-one, forty-seven, macaroni, ravioli, rigatoni, mostaccioli.
Eighty-eight, ninety-nine!
Count to five, many syllables.
Cosmopolitan, communication, intimidation, appreciation, congratulations, electricity, similarity, opportunity, possibility, university!
Will six syllables do?
Encyclopedia, autobiography, accelerometer, hyperacidity, memorabilia.
Count them through and know them true!
Syllables are here for you!
Vowels
YouTube | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML | Utah govt’s ‘Vowel Combinations’
| Short | IPA | IPA | Long | (includes) | ||||
| a | æ | eɪ | ae | aigh eigh |
ai ei |
-ay | a_e | |
| e | ɛ | i | ee | ∅ | ea ei |
-y -ey |
e_e | |
| i | ɪ | aɪ | ie | eigh igh |
ai | -y | i_e | |
| o | ɑ | oʊ | oe | ough | oa | -ow | o_e | |
| u | ʌ / ʊ | u / ju | ue | ough | ui oo |
-ew | u_e | |
| Hard | IPA | IPA | Back | |||||
| ar | ɑɹ | ɔ | aw | augh ough |
au | wa | al | |
| er | ər / ɚ / ɝ | aʊ | ow | ough | ou | |||
| ir | ər / ɚ / ɝ | ʊ | ou | oo | ||||
| or | ɔər / ər | ɔɪ | oi | -oy | ||||
| ur | ʊər / ər |
Short & Long Vowel Words
YouTube | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
Teaching tip: After becoming familiar with these, and after writing the Basic printed alphabet, connect phonics and writing using the 24-line phonics writing sheet.
| Short | Long |
| mat | mate |
| met | mete |
| mit | mite |
| mot | mote |
| mut | mute |
| moot | |
| bat | bait |
| bet | beat |
| bit | bite |
| bot | boat |
| but | bute |
| boot | |
| hat | hate |
| het | heat |
| hit | height |
| hot | hote |
| hut | hoot |
| pat | Pate |
| pet | Pete |
| pit | pight |
| pot | pote |
| putt | poot |
| put (ʊ) | |
| rat | rate |
| ret | rete |
| rit | rite |
| rot | rote |
| rut | rute |
| rad | raid |
| red | reed |
| rid | ride |
| rod | rode |
| rud | rude |
| ban | bane |
| Ben | bean |
| bin | bine |
| bon | bone |
| bun | boon |
| lack | lake |
| leck | leak |
| lick | like |
| lock | loke |
| luck | Luke |
| look (ʊ) | |
| Mack | make |
| meck | meek |
| Mick | Mike |
| mock | moke |
| muck | muke |
| tack | take |
| tech | teak |
| tick | tyke |
| tock | toke |
| tuck | tuke |
| took (ʊ) | |
| back | bake |
| beck | beak |
| bick | bike |
| bock | boke |
| buck | buke |
| book (ʊ) | |
| rack | rake |
| wreck | wreak |
| rick | rike |
| rock | roke |
| ruck | ruke |
| rook (ʊ) | |
| lap | lape |
| lep | leap |
| lip | lipe |
| lop | lope |
| lup | lupe |
| tap | tape |
| tep | tepe |
| tip | type |
| top | tope |
| tup | toop |
| sap | sape |
| sep | seep |
| sip | sipe |
| sop | soap |
| sup | soup |
| gnat | Nate |
| net | neat |
| knit | night |
| knot | note |
| nut | Newt |
| cat | Kate |
| ket | keet |
| kit | kite |
| cot | coat |
| cut | cute |
| caught (ɔ) | |
| sat | sate |
| set | seat |
| sit | sight |
| sot | sote |
| sut | suit |
| sought (ɔ) | |
| soot (ʊ) |
| Single-letter | Double-letter |
| Short | Long | Short | Long |
| tap | tape | tapping | taping |
| met | mete | metting | meting |
| sit | site | sitting | siting |
| hop | hope | hopping | hoping |
| mop | mope | mopping | moping |
| dot | dote | dotting | doting |
| run | rune | running | runing |
Word Groups
Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
| am | an | at | amp | and | ant |
| ed | egg | ex | if | in | it |
| odd | off | on | um | up | us |
| be | he | me | she | we | ye |
| by | hi | my | shy | why | ay |
| bo | go | lo | no | so | yo |
| boo | goo | loo | moo | too | zoo |
| cly | fly | ply | sly | vly |
| cry | fry | pry | try | dry |
| bell | cell | hell | sell | yell |
| bill | gill | kill | mill | sill |
| doll | poll | roll | toll | troll |
| cull | dull | lull | mull | null |
| aid | bait | gait | paint | rain |
| beige | veil | vein | feign | rein |
| each | meat | jeans | reach | teach |
| deep | meet | teeth | sheep | weep |
| seize | weird | either | neither | leisure |
| die | pie | lie | tie | fries |
| boat | coat | goat | soap | loan |
| fruit | juice | suit | cruise | bruise |
| -a wa al -r | ha | ma | pa | ta |
| (wɔ) | watch | water | wash | want |
| (ɔl) | call | ball | fall | Paul |
| (ɑɹ) | car | bar | far | par |
| (er) | care | bear | fair | pear |
| (ər) | her | burr | sir | purr |
| (aɪəɹ) | hire | buyer | sire | pyre |
| (ɔɹ) | core | boar | soar | pour |
| (ʊəɹ) | cure | dure | sure | pure |
| oy /oi (ɔɪ) |
Roy | boy | coy | toy | oy |
| royal | boil | coil | toil | oil | |
| ou / oo (ʊ) | could | would | should | roof | hoof |
| look | snook | hook | shook | crook | |
| rook | cook | brook | foot | soot | |
| ou / oo (u) | soup | coupe | group | youth | tour |
| spoon | soon | moon | loon | coon | |
| spool | cool | pool | school | fool | |
| -ou- (aʊ) | out | rout | pout | about | spout |
| shout | snout | clout | south | sprout | |
| house | mouse | douse | grouse | spouse | |
| house | rouse | arouse | carouse | espouse | |
| aw / augh (ɔ) | saw | claw | lawn | dawn | spawn |
| taught | straught | fraught | naught | daughter | |
| -ow (aʊ) | cow | bow | how | sow | now |
| -ow (oʊ) | blow | bow | show | sow | know |
| -ew (u) | blew | dew | hew | new | knew |
| -ue (u) | blue | due | hue | glue | true |
| -y / -ey (i) | happy | lucky | baby | honey | money |
| -ay (eɪ) | play | day | way | ray | stay |
| -ax | ax | tax | wax | max | lax |
| fax | pax | sax | rax | zax | |
| -ex- | lex | vex | next | exit | excess |
| -ix- | six | mix | fix | helix | pixel |
| -ox- | ox | box | fox | epoxy | oxygen |
| -ux- | lux | tux | flux | crux | deluxe |
| -cks | kicks | bucks | locks | backs | rocks |
| -bs | bibs | ribs | cribs | cubs | tubs |
| -ds | bids | reds | lids | duds | tids |
| -gs | bigs | digs | rigs | rags | tags |
| -ps | bops | caps | lips | whips | pups |
| -ts | bits | cats | mits | nuts | rats |
| -ms/ls | moms | dims | lulls | mulls |
| -ns/ys | nans | cans | yays | days |
| -ves | lives | hives | chives | arrives | delves |
| -ths | lathes | widths | bathes | paths | tithes |
| -f/th/s | fifths | twelfths | myths | youths | riffs |
| _igh- | ||||
| quaigh | straight | weigh | weight | sleigh |
| high | height | slight | night | knight |
| -ough- | |||
| (oʊ) |
though | although | thorough |
| dough | doughnut | ||
| (u) | through | breakthrough | slough |
| (ɔ) | ought | bought | brought |
| fought | sought | wrought | |
| nought | dreadnought | thought | |
| (aʊ) | drought | plough | bough |
| (ʌf) | enough | rough | tough |
| (ɔf) | cough | trough | |
| (ʌp) | hiccough | (hiccup) |
Consonants
Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
| voiceless | voiced | voiceless | voiced |
| Stops | Double Stops | ||
| p | b | pp | bb |
| t | d | tt | dd |
| c, k | g | ck | gg |
| Fricatives | Double Fricatives |
||
| s | z | ss | zz |
| f | v | ff | ∅ |
| θ | ð | th | th |
| ʃ (t: -tio-) | ʒ (j, s: -sio-) | sh | ∅ |
| Liquids & Nasals | Double Liquids & Nasals |
||
| ∅ | l | ∅ | ll |
| ∅ | r | ∅ | rr |
| ∅ | m | ∅ | mm |
| ∅ | n | ∅ | nn |
| ∅ | ŋ | ∅ | ng |
Usually, the purpose of doubling these consonants is to clarify that the vowel before is short.
Stops have two sounds, one when before a vowel, one after the vowel—a “stop” and a “start” version. Doubling a stop in a spelling usually indicates pronouncing both the “stop” and “start” sounds. Examples are: bubble, daddy, wiggle, happy, little, and chicken.
For non-native speakers…
Practice stops by sandwiching them between vowels and repeating them as an exercise. For example with “b”: bababababababa. Do this with all Stops.
Practice “l”, “th”, and all “l” combinations by sticking your tongue out, relaxed, the entire time. Practice “bl”, “fl”, “pl”, etc. by sticking your tongue out the entire time, even spitting like a baby would.
If “l” is a problem, which it can be for some far eastern speakers, practice “l” by putting the tip of your tongue behind your lower front teeth and pronouncing it with the middle of your tongue against your top front teeth.
Combining Sounds:
g, h, w, y, r, l, s, t, qu-, -ng, -nk
YouTube | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
(practice words, may not be real words)
| -ang | -ing | -ong | -ung | -ank | -ink | -onk | -unk | |
| g- | gang | ging | gong | gung | gank | gink | gonk | gunk |
| h- | hang | hing | hong | hung | hank | hink | honk | hunk |
| t- | tang | ting | tong | tung | tank | tink | tonk | tunk |
| y- | yang | ying | yong | yung | yank | yink | yonk | yunk |
| qu- | quang | quing | quong | quung | quank | quink | quonk | quunk |
| br- | brang | bring | brong | brung | brank | brink | bronk | brunk |
| cr- | crang | cring | crong | crung | crank | crink | cronk | crunk |
| dr- | drang | dring | drong | drung | drank | drink | dronk | drunk |
| fr- | frang | fring | frong | frung | frank | frink | fronk | frunk |
| gr- | grang | gring | grong | grung | grank | grink | gronk | grunk |
| pr- | prang | pring | prong | prung | prank | prink | pronk | prunk |
| tr- | trang | tring | trong | trung | trank | trink | tronk | trunk |
| bl- | blang | bling | blong | blung | blank | blink | blonk | blunk |
| cl- | clang | cling | clong | clung | clank | clink | clonk | clunk |
| fl- | flang | fling | flong | flung | flank | flink | flonk | flunk |
| gl- | glang | gling | glong | glung | glank | glink | glonk | glunk |
| pl- | plang | pling | plong | plung | plank | plink | plonk | plunk |
| sl- | slang | sling | slong | slung | slank | slink | slonk | slunk |
| sp- | spang | sping | spong | spung | spank | spink | sponk | spunk |
| spr- | sprang | spring | sprong | sprung | sprank | sprink | spronk | sprunk |
| st- | stang | sting | stong | stung | stank | stink | stonk | stunk |
| str- | strang | string | strong | strung | strank | strink | stronk | strunk |
| sk- | skang | sking | skong | skung | skank | skink | skonk | skunk |
| scr- | scrang | scring | scrong | scrung | scrank | scrink | scronk | scrunk |
Other Rules
YouTube | YouTube (Overview) | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
| (soft C) “s” | |||||
| ce | ice | succeed | piece | cease | certain |
| ci | city | cite | cinema | recite | cinder |
| cy | icy | cycle | mercy | cyclone | fancy |
| (soft G) “j” | |||||
| ge | forge | bulge | charge | cage | huge |
| gi | giant | gist | imagine | ginger | magic |
| gy | Egypt | edgy | gym | energy | gypsy |
| -ange- | angel | change | mange | range | strange |
| -aste | baste | haste | paste | taste | waste |
| -bl | wobble | table | fable | stable | marble |
| -gl | wiggle | giggle | juggle | jungle | tangle |
| -dl | doodle | noodle | poodle | puddle | muddle |
| -pl | apple | maple | staple | people | couple |
| -ckl | cackle | tickle | pickle | trickle | chuckle |
| -tl | cattle | brittle | bottle | rattle | kettle |
| -fl | baffle | waffle | muffle | truffle | stifle |
| -stl = sl |
thistle | whistle | castle | hustle | bristle |
| sm- | smoke | smite | smooth | smack | smart |
| sn- | snack | sneak | snap | snail | snake |
| sw- | swag | swim | swipe | switch | swap |
| schw- | schwartz | schwab | schwan | schwitz | schwaz |
| qu- | quack | quake | quite | quiet | quick |
| tw- | twang | twas | tweak | twice | twitch |
| -cious | conscious | precious | gracious | delicious | vivacious |
| -cian | politician | musician | magician | tactician | beautician |
| -cial | artificial | commercial | facial | social | beneficial |
| -tial | essential | initial | partial | spatial | potential |
| -tion | nation | solution | affection | option | fiction |
| -tious | nutritious | fictitious | infectious | cautious | repetitious |
| -ssion (ʃ) |
discussion | expression | commission | impression | session |
| -sion (ʒ) |
vision | decision | occasion | conclusion | provision |
| sh | shoot | shake | crash | fish | wash |
| ch | chocolate | chicken | each | march | such |
| -tch- = ch | catch | match | latch | witch | ketchup |
| -dge = j | judge | ledge | bridge | hedge | badge |
| -ture (chur) | mature | fracture | capture | lecture | rapture |
| creature | texture | posture | mixture | picture | |
| sculpture | culture | fixture | vulture | moisture | |
| future | structure | puncture | feature | nature | |
| -que = k | clique | technique | pique | opaque | torque |
| -eo- = ?? |
chameleon | dungeon | luncheon | pigeon | surgeon |
| people | theory | leopard | Geoffrey | yeoman | |
| -eu- = ue |
euphoria | Eugene | deuce | feud | pseudo |
| neutron | therapeutic | euphemism | Pentateuch | Zeus | |
| -mb = m | lamb | comb | climb | tomb | bomb |
| -mn = m | autumn | column | solemn | hymn | damn |
| kn- = n | know | knight | knee | knock | knob |
| gn = n | gnat | gnaw | gnarl | gnash | gnostic |
| align | arraign | benign | foreign | design | |
| silent -h- | hour | honor | honest | homage | aghast |
| ghost | ghetto | gherkin | ghastly | exhibit | |
| rhythm | rhyme | rhinoceros | rhubarb | exhaust | |
| bt = t | subtle | debt | indebted | doubt | doubtful |
| wr- = r | write | wrong | wring | wrap | wreath |
| sc- = s | science | scissors | scene | crescent | ascend |
| pn- = n | pneuma | pneumonia | pneumonic | pneumatic | pneumatology |
| ps- = s | psychology | psalm | psalter | pseudonym | psychiatry |
| pt- = t | pterodactyl | pteranodon | ptarmigan | ptosis | pteropod |
| ch = k | ache | echo | chorus | school | stomach |
| chaos | chemist | orchid | scheme | mechanic | |
| technology | architect | anchor | monarch | orchestra | |
| f- k- p- s- x- ch- sh- + -ed = “t” |
scoffed | walked | shopped | hissed | boxed |
| -s -es = “z” | dogs | slabs | moms | dads | zones |
| -fs -ks -ps -ts = “s” | gaffs | laughs | tacks | taps | lights |
| -kes -pes -tes = “s” | takes | wipes | likes | bites | writes |
Pronounce “th” correctly!
Trump teaches to say “th” correctly in this photograph.
th – th
Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
| θ — voiceless | YouTube | ð — voiced | YouTube | |
| thorn | third | this | they | |
| thin | fourth | that | their | |
| thirsty | fifth | these | them | |
| thief | sixth | those | thy | |
| theater | seventh | there | thee | |
| thaw | eighth | than | thou | |
| thing | ninth | then | thine | |
| thank | tenth | themselves | thyself | |
| thick | eleventh | |||
| therapy | twelfth | other | clothing | |
| thrive | thirteenth | another | clothe | |
| think | thirteen | brother | breathing | |
| math | thirty | mother | breathe | |
| thousand | thirtieth | father | teethe | |
| feather | loathe | |||
| booth | path | leather | bathe | |
| bath | python | tether | soothe | |
| teeth | truth | either | smooth | |
| youth | something | rather | seethe | |
| north | panther | gather | scathe | |
| south | marathon | weather | worthy | |
| both | thermos | |||
| oath | thunder | though | the | |
| strength | thread | thenceforth | therein | |
| broth | month | thereabout | thereby | |
| wreath | breath | thereafter | thereof | |
| thigh | through | thereupon | thereon | |
| thumb | thought | thereunder | thereto | |
| mouth | earth | therefore | therewith |
Odd Spellings
YouTube | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML
| to | by | their |
| too | buy | there |
| two | bye | they’re |
| were | here | where |
| be | hi | one |
| bee | high | won |
| lieutenant | Yosemite | albeit | been |
| colonel | corps | niche | sugar |
| said | queue | facade | ocean |
| aisle | isle | island | quay |
| hors d’ oeuvres | caveat | mishap | tortoise |
| read | recipe | awry | guard |
| was | debris | epitome | listen |
| of | have | elite | christen |
| great | Greenwich | paradigm | woman |
| laugh | bologna | choir | women |
| love | come | kind | breath |
| dove | some | hind | dread |
| move | done | mind | bread |
| child | does | find | half |
| mild | comb | wind | calf |
| wild | tomb | bind | behalf |
| olive | affirmative | pejorative | aggressive |
| live | correlative | missive | laxative |
| give | offensive | expensive | expressive |
| cursive | adjective | explosive | derivative |
| creative | sensitive | conclusive | demonstrative |
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
YouTube | Doc on Google Drive | Simple HTML | Wiki | IPA Chart for American English
| æ | ɛ | ɪ | ɔ | ʊ | ə | ʔ | p | b | |
| ɑ | e | i | o | u | ʌ | t | d | ||
| eɪ | aɪ | oʊ | ju | k | ɡ | ||||
| aʊ | ɔɪ | ər | |||||||
| ɚ | t͡ʃ | d͡ʒ | |||||||
| ɝ | |||||||||
| s | z | ||||||||
| l | f | v | |||||||
| m | j | ʃ | ʒ | ||||||
| n | r | θ | ð | ||||||
| ŋ | w | hw | h |