Great Readers and Writers Know the Phonics Rules

vc Rule A vowel followed by a consonant is short. Examples:log/cat/sit/tug/wet

cv Rule An open, accented vowel is long. Examples: no/me/so/we  

Twin Consonants Twin consonants are two identical letters side by side in a word with only the first letter making the sound. Examples: ball / class / stuff 

Consonant DigraphsA digraph is two letters that come together and make one sound.This is different from a blend. In a blend the two sounds can be distinguished. Example: th The digraph th has a voiced and unvoiced sound.  To determine if th is unvoiced or voiced, place three fingers over your throat and say the word.  If you feel vibrations when pronouncing the th, then the th is voiced.  More examples: sh and ch

Vowel Digraphs A vowel digraph is two letters with the first letter making a long sound and the second letter is silent.  We call this:  "first one does the talking, the second keeps on walking." Examples: ee, ay, ai and oo
The digraph oo has two sounds.  One is the sound heard in hook.  The other sound is the sound heard in tooth.  More examples: ue, au, aw

vccv Rule When a word contains more than one vowel, it could follow the vccv or vowel-consonant-consonant-vowel pattern.  Examples: napkin/ picnic / rabbit

K and C Rules There are two ways to spell the /k/ sound. Spell the /k/ sound with k if the sound comes before e,i, or y. Examples: keg/kid/milky/skip/silky   Spell the /k/ sound with c if the sound comes before a, o, u, or  any consonant. Examples: cat/clip/crop/cost/cup
Final /k/ Rules Spell the final /k/ sound with digraph ck after a short vowel. Examples: black/lock/neck/sick/duck     Spell the final /k/ sound with the letter k after a consonant or a vowel digraph. Examples: milk/week/bank/book

v-e Rule A vowel followed by a consonant and "sneaky e" is long. Example: hope, like, rule, these, name

Combinations A combination is two letters coming together to make an unexpected sound.  These are different from a digraph because you cannot hear any of the letters' normal sounds. Combinations with the "bossy r": ar/er/ir/ur/or/qu

Final /s/ Rules  After a short vowel, use ss.  Examples: grass/dress/miss     After a long vowel, use ce.  Examples: ice/space  After a consonant or a vowel digraph, use se.  Examples false/

Dropping Rule When a word ends with a "silent e" or "sneaky e", drop the e before adding a vowel suffix. Ex:  make + ing = making      rule + er = ruler

Dipthongs A dipthong is two vowel sounds that come together so quickly that they are considered to be only one syllable. Dipthongs that have been introduced: oi and oy / ou and ow  Dipthong oi and ou come in the initial or medial position of a word. Dipthong oy and ow come in the final position of a word. Ex:  join, boy, mouse, cow

Outlaw Words Outlaw words contain either the vowels o or i followed by two consonants.  The vowel is long when followed by two consonants. Ex:  wild, colt, kind, find, both

Ghost Letter Digraphs  We call the "g," "k," and "w" in the digraphs gn, kn, and wr ghost letters to help us remember they used to make a sound but now are silent. Ex:  knife/knaw/wrist  

Doubling Rule
When a vowel suffix is added to a root word that ends with one vowel and one consonant, the final consonant is doubled before adding the suffix.  Vowel suffixes are ed, ing and y. Ex:  sit + ing = sitting Sit ends with a vowel followed by one consonant. Suffix "ing" is a vowel suffix. The ending consonant, "t" is doubled before adding the suffix.