Teaching English Reading using phonics involves relating certain rules about English Pronunciation :
- Each Letter is like an Animal , which has a Name and the Sound (s) that it makes. e.g. A Cat says "meow".
- Each Vowel has two sounds: one long and one short. The long sound is the same as its name. The long sounds are in ''a''pe, ''e''ven, n''i''ce, h''o''me, and t''u''ne. Their short equivalents are c''a''t, b''e''d, s''i''t, h''o''t, and c''u''p.
- Each Syllable is made by blending the sounds of each component. e.g. reading the word by adding one sound at a time, as in -e, -ed, bed.
- When a single vowel letter is in the middle of a word (or syllable), it usually says its short sound. e.g. "Got", "Bed". But there are many exceptions to this rule. See irregular vowels below.
- When a single vowel letter is in the end of a word (or syllable), it usually says its long sound (or its name.) e.g. "Go", "Be".
- When two vowels go hand in hand in the same word (or syllable), the first vowel usually says its own name (long sound) and the second vowel stays silent. e.g. "Bake" (Ay sound + silent E), "Goal" (Oh sound + silent A), etc. But there are many exceptions to this rule. See irregular vowels below.
- ''Irregular vowels'': Many combinations of letters do not follow the single or two vowel rules mentioned above. These special combinations and sounds must be memorized. Common examples include, but are not limited to, the following:
- --- IGH as in "High" and "Sight"
- --- -NG as in "Sing", "Song", "Sung".
- --- OST as in "Most" (but not "Lost" or "Cost"!) uses the long sound instead of the usual short sound.
- --- OW has two different sounds as in "Low" and "Cow"
- --- ED has three different sounds as in "Lifted", "Walked", "Played".
- --- OI does not follow the two vowels rule, ''e.g.'' "Moist", "Boil".
- --- Double O has two different sounds as in "Book" and "Loose".
- --- OUS as in "Nervous".
- --- AU as in "Fault", "Haul", etc.
- --- -SION and -TION and -CIAN are pronounced as "shun".
- --- OUGH has at least seven different sounds, e.g. in "bough", "cough", "hough", "tough", "thorough", "thought", and "through"
- Many words do not follow these rules; they are called "sight words". Sight words must be memorized since the regular rules do not apply. ''e.g.,'' "The", "Are", "You".
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