Important Terms

Vowels

The Vowels (a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y and w) are always voiced. Our mouths are always open when we produce a vowel sound. Vowels can be long or short. The long vowel sound says the name of the vowel.

a, apple, /ă/ a, cake, /ā/ a, baby, /ā/

Consonants

Consonants can be voiced or unvoiced. We stop a consonant sound by using our teeth, tongue or lips.

• b, boy, /b/ c, cat, /k/ c, city, /s/ d, dog, /d/
• f, fish, /f/ g, goat, /g/ g, giraffe, /j/ h, hat, /h/
• j, jam, /j/ k, kite, /k/ l, lamp, /l/ m, man, /m/
• n, nut, /n/ p, pan, /p/ qu, queen, /q/ r, rat, /r/
• s, sun, /s/ s, nose, /z/ t, top, /t/ v, vest, /v/
• w, wind, /w/ x, box, /ks/ y, yo-yo, /y/ z, zebra, /z/

Syllable

A syllable is a word or part of a word with a vowel sound. Every syllable has a vowel.

Consonant blends

consonant blends are two or three consonants whose sounds are heard, but are said very closely together. Examples:
bl (blaze), br (broke), cl (clip), cr (crab), dr (drink), fl (floss), fr (frog), gl (glass), gr (grapes), pl (plate), pr (prince), sc (scarf), scr (scrape), sl (slip), sm (small) sn (snap), sp (spy), spl (splash), spr (spring), squ (squirt), st (stop), str (stripe), sw (swing).

Diagraph

two letters that make one sound. Example: ch (chin, punch), ck (track), ph (phone, graph), sh (ship, wish), th (thumb, path), wh (whip).

Trigraph

three letters that make one sound. Example, tch (witch), dge (fudge).

Compound words

two words that combine to make a new word with new meaning. Examples: baseball, cupcake.

Base word

A word that can stand alone and have meaning.
Examples: cat, fox, farm, hard, fun, wise

Suffix

Added to the end of a base word and changes the meaning or function of the word.
Examples: cats, foxes, farmer, rented, hardest, funny, wisely

Jobs of e

The letter ‘e’ has several jobs in the English language.

• It is used to make the long vowel sound in the v-e syllable type.
  Examples: cake, eve, bike, home, cube, flute
• It follows a s, v or z at the end of words. Examples: close, give, maze
• It follows the letters c and g to make their soft sounds, /s/ and /j/. Examples: face, mice, age, lodge

Noun

A person, place, thing or idea.

Verb

An action word.

Adjective

Describes a noun.

Adverb

Describes a verb, and adjective or another adverb.

Spelling Generalizations & Rules

FLSZ Spelling generalization

In a one syllable word, where f, l,s, z follows a short vowel, double the f, l, s, z. Examples: buff, fill, cross, jazz

Cat/Kite Spelling generalization

A /k/ sound at the beginning of a word is spelled with c when followed by a, o, u or the consonants l and r.
Examples: cast, cop, cup, clip, crop.

A /k/

The sound at the beginning of a word is spelled with k when followed by I or e.
Examples: kit, keg

k-ck

Spelling generalization – the /k/ sound at the end of a word is spelled with k when it immediately follows a consonant or a long vowel.
Examples: milk, lake, jerk, bike, fork, puke.

 /k/

The sound at the end of a word is spelled with ck when it immediately follows a short vowel.
Examples: lack, speck, trick, clock, truck

ch-tch Spelling generalization

The /ch/ sound at the end of a word is spelled with ‘ch’ when it follows a consonant.
Examples: ranch, bench, birch, porch, lunch.

/ch/

The sound at the end of a word is spelled ‘tch’ when it immediately follows a short vowel.
Examples: latch, fetch, witch, notch, hutch.

Rabbit Spelling generalization

The first syllable is closed, with the short vowel sound. Add a consonant to the second syllable. The extra consonant “protects” the vowel to keep the sound short.
Examples: rabbit, better, litter, bobbin, summit

Gentle Cindy

The c says /s/ when followed by e,i, or y.
Examples: city, cent, cycle.

/j/

g says /j/ when followed by e, i, or y.
Examples: gem, giraffe, gym

‘er’

Spelling generalization – er is commonly used to spell the /er/ sound at the end of longer words.
Examples: remember, December, paper

se/ve/ze

Spelling generalization – e will follow the letter s (note: NOT suffix s), v and z at the end of words.
Examples: phase, tense, have, drive, froze, daze

1+1+1 doubling (CVC) rule

This rule states that when you have a 1 syllable base word with 1 vowel followed by 1 consonant, you will double the consonant when adding a vowel suffix (1+1+1).
Examples: fitted, starring, shopper, hottest, funny

ge-dge rule

The /j/ sound at the end of words will be spelled with ‘ge’ when it follows a consonant or a long vowel. Examples: large, page, strange.

/j/

The /j/ sound at the end of words will be spelled ‘dge’ when it immediately follows a short vowel.
Examples: badge, wedge, fridge, lodge, fudge

Syllable Types

Closed

A closed syllable has a vowel followed by 1 or 2 consonants. The vowel sound is short.
Examples: bath, test, kit, chop, stump.

VCe

The vce syllable has a vowel followed by a consonant followed by the letter e. The vowel sound is long.
Examples: cake, eve, bike, home, cube, flute.

Open

The open syllable ends in a vowel. The vowel sound is long.
Examples: we, hi, go, flu.

R-controlled

The r-controlled syllable has a vowel followed by the letter r. The r-controlled syllables are ar, or, ir, ur, er.
Examples: car, fern, bird, corn, nurse.

Suffixes

-ed (ěd,d,t)

Means in the past.
Examples: rented, hanged, missed

-er

Means one who does something or comparing two things.
Examples: farmer, faster

– es

Means more than one (noun) or creates a verb.
Examples, catches, buses, boxes, clashes, fizzes

-est

Compares three or more people/things.
Examples: fastest, wettest, slimmest, shortest.

-ing

Means happening now.
Examples: landing, herding, fitting, hopping, running

-ly

Creates adverbs
Examples: wisely, hardly

-s

Means more than one or creates a verb.
Examples: cats, dogs, s/he runs, s/he farms

-sion

Creates nouns
Examples: (explode) explosion, (conclude) conclusion, (impress) impression

-tion

Creates nouns
Examples: (educate) education, (communicate) communication,

 -y

Means ‘full of’ or ‘cute one/dear one.’
Examples: dirty, funny, sloppy,

Syllable Division Patterns

VC/CV

The syllable divides between the consonants. Examples: admit, concert

VC/CCV, VCCCV AND VCCCCV

The syllable division depends on where consonants blends and diagraphs are in the word. Keep blends and diagraphs together.
Examples: lobster, pumpkin

VCE/CV

The syllable divides after the e.
Examples: homework, makeshift

V/CV

The syllable divides after the first vowel. The first syllable has a long vowel sound.
Examples: hotel, baby, item, unit, event