Common Phonics Generalizations

SOURCE: Beers, Kylene (2003). When Kids Cant Read. What Teachers Can Do.

Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH. pp. 335-338.

CONSONANT GENERALIZATIONS EXAMPLE EXCEPTION

1. When two of the same consonants appear side

by side in a word, only one is hear.

berry suggest

2. When the letter c is followed by the letter o or

a, the c makes the /k/ sound.

cat

3. The digraph ch is usually pronounced /ch/ as

in chair.

each chef

4. When the letters c and h appear next to each

other in a word, they stand for only one sound.

rich

5. The letter g often has a sound similar to that of

the letter j in jump when it comes after the letter i

or e.

ginger give

6. When the letter c is followed by the letter e or

i, the /s/ sound is likely to be heard.

cent ocean

7. When the word ends in the letters ck is has the

/k/ sound as in book.

sick

8. When the letters ght appear together, the

letters gh are silent.

fight

9. When a word begins with the letters kn, the

letter k is silent.

know

10. When a word begins with the letters wr, the

letter w is silent.

write

VOWEL GENERALIZATIONS EXAMPLE EXCEPTION

11. If there is one vowel letter in an accented

syllable, it has a short sound.

city lady

12. When a word has only one vowel letter, the

vowel is likely to be short.

lid mind

13. When two vowels appear together in a word,

the long sound of the first one is heard and the

second is usually silent.

seat chief

14. When a vowel is in the middle of a one-

syllable word, the vowel is short.

best gold

15. The letter r gives the preceding vowel a

sound that is neither short nor long.

torn fire

16. When there are two vowels, one of which is

the final e, the first vowel is long and the e is

silent.

hope come

17. The first vowel is usually long and the

second silent in the diagraphs of ai, ea, oa and

ui.

nail

bead

boat

suit

said

head

board

build

18. When words end with a silent e, the

preceding a or i is long.

bake have

19. When the letter y is the final letter in a word,

it usually has a vowel sound.

dry tray

20. When the letter y is used as a vowel in

words, it sometimes has the sound of a long i.

fly funny

21. When y or ey appears in the last syllable that

is not accented, the long e is heard.

monkey

22. The letter a has the same sound as the /o/

when followed by l, w and u.

fall canal

23. The letter w is sometimes a vowel and it

follows the vowel digraph rule.

snow few

24. When there is one e in a word that ends in a

consonant, the e usually has a short sound.

pet flew

25. In many two- and three-syllable words, the

final e lengthens the vowel in the last syllable.

invite gasoline

26. Words having double e usually have the long

e sound.

feet been

27. The letters ow stand for the long o sound. own town

28. When the letter a follows the letter w it

usually has the sound that a stands for as in was.

watch swam

29. In the vowel spelling ie, the letter i is silent

and the letter e has the long vowel sound.

field friend

30. In ay, the y is silent and gives a its long

sound.

play bayou

31. If the only vowel letter is at the end of the

word, the letter usually stands for a long sound.

me do

32. When the letter e is followed by the letter w,

the sound is the same as represented by oo /oo/.

blew sew

33. When the letter a is followed by the letter r

and final e, we expect to hear the sound heard in

care.

dare are

34. When the letter i is followed by the letters

gh, the letter i usually stands for its long sound

and the gh are silent.

high neighbour

SYLLABLE GENERALIZATIONS EXAMPLE EXCEPTION

35. If the first vowel sound in a word is followed

by two consonants, the first syllable usually ends

with the first of the two consonants.

bullet singer

36. If the first vowel sound in a word is followed

by a single consonant, that consonant usually

begins with the second syllable.

over oven

37. In a word of more than one syllable, the letter

v usually goes with the preceding vowel to form

a syllable.

cover clover

38. If the last syllable of the word ends in le, the

consonant preceding the le usually begins the

last syllable.

tumble buckle

39. When the first vowel in a word is followed

by th, ch, wh, or sh, these consonant teams are

not broken when the word is divided into

syllables, and they may go with either the first or

second syllable.

dishes

40. In most two-syllable words, the first syllable

is accented.

famous polite

41. When the last syllable is the sound /r/, it is

unaccented.

butter appear

42. In most two-syllable words that end in a

consonant followed by y, the first syllable is

accented and last is unaccented.

baby supply

43. If a, in, re, ex, ,de or be is the first syllable in

the word, it is usually unaccented.

above insect

44. When tion is the final syllable in a word, it is

unaccented.

nation

45. When ture is the final syllable in a word, it is

unaccented.

picture.