Top 10 Phonics Rules for Reading and Spelling

Phonics Rules: When children learn to read, they are trying to connect the sounds of words to the way those words are represented through letters. Phonics rules and instruction help learners and educators to make those connections and display phonetics more vividly.

How do Phonics Rules Help?

Phonics rules and instruction help explain spelling rules, syllable patterns, vowel sounds,and common patterns in the English language. Learning these patterns can help young learners become competent readers and spellers of English. Below are numerous phonics rules, and how they effect spelling and pronunciation in English.

1. Soft C and Soft G

The soft c rule is: The letter c represents /s/ before the letters e, i, and y.

The hard c rule is: The letter c represents /c/ before the letters a, o, and u.

The soft g rule is: The letter g represents /ʒ/ before the letters e, i, and y.

The hard g rule is: The letter g represents /g/ before the letters a, o, and u.

Here are some examples of soft c.

cent: /s/ because it is followed by e.

city: /s/ because it is followed by i.

cycle: /s/ because it is followed by y.

Here are some examples of hard c.

cat: /c/ because it is followed by a.

cod: /c/ because it is followed by o.

cup: /c/ because it is followed by u.

Here are some examples of soft g.

gem: /ʒ/ because it is followed by e.

giraffe: /ʒ/ because it is followed by i.

gym: /ʒ/ because it is followed by y.

Here are some examples of hard g.

gap: /g/ because it is followed by a.

got: /g/ because it is followed by o.

gull: /g/ because it is followed by u.

2. Y Ending Sound E and I

The 'y' ending 'e' rule is: In a two syllable word y says e. The letter y represents /i/.

The 'y' ending 'i' rule is: In a one syllable word y says i. The letter y represents /ai/.

Here are some examples of 'y' ending 'e'.

cherry: /i/ because it has two syllables.

easy: /i/ because it has two syllables.

very: /i/ because it has two syllables.

Here are some examples of 'y' ending 'i'.

cry: /ai/ because it has one syllable.

dry: /ai/ because it has one syllable.

my: /ai/ because it has one syllable.

3. Vowels in Syllables

Every syllable in every word must have at least one vowel sound.

A vowel can stand alone in a syllable or it can also be surrounded by consonants.

Here are some examples of a vowel standing alone in a syllable.

evil: divide before a single middle consonant e-vil.

item: divide before a single middle consonant i-tem.

open: divide before a single middle consonant o-pen.

Here are some examples of a vowel surrounded by consonants.

cup: vowel 'u' is surrounded by consonants c and p.

dig: vowel 'i' is surrounded by consonants d and g.

mat: vowel 'a' is surrounded by consonants m and t.

4. Consonant Digraphs

The consonant digraph rule is when two consonants join together to form a new sound.

Here are some examples of consonant digraphs.

chick: 'c' and 'h' make the sound /ʧ/.

photo: 'p' and 'h' make the sound /f/.

ship: 's' and 'h' make the sound /ʃ/.

thief: 't' and 'h' make the sound /θ/.

wheel: 'w' and 'h' make the sound /w/.

5. Vowel Digraphs

The vowel digraph rule is when two vowels are side by side. The first vowel is long and can be heard. The second vowel is silent.

Here are some examples of vowel digraphs.

boat: 'o' and 'a' make the sound /əʊ/.

rain: 'a' and 'i' make the sound /eɪ/.

sea: 'e' and 'a' make the sound /iː/.

6. Plurals

The plurals rule is to add 's' to the end of most words. When the word ends in s, x, z, ch, and sh, add 'es' to make it plural.

Here are some examples of adding 's' to make words plural.

cat: add 's' and the word becomes cats.

pencil: add 's' and the word becomes pencils.

ruler: add 's' and the word becomes rulers.

Here are some examples of adding 'es' to make words plural.

buzz: add 'es' and the word becomes buzzes.

crash: add 'es' and the word becomes crashes.

fox: add 'es' and the word becomes foxes.

7. Silent E

The silent e rule is: When a syllable ends in 'e', the silent 'e' indicates the first syllable in that word is a long vowel and the 'e' is silent.

Here are some examples of silent e.

cake: long vowel 'a' and silent 'e'.

kite: long vowel 'i' and silent 'e'.

cone: long vowel 'o' and silent 'e'.

cute: long vowel 'u' and silent 'e'.

8. R-Controlled Vowels

The r-controlled vowel rule is: When a vowel is followed by 'r' in the same syllable, it makes a new sound, which makes the vowel r-controlled.

Here are some examples of r-controlled vowels.

car: 'a' and 'r' make the sound /ar/.

her: 'e' and 'r' make the sound /ər/.

bird: 'i' and 'r' make the sound /ir/.

worn: 'o' and 'r' make the sound /ɔr/.

fur: 'u' and 'r' make the sound /ər/.

9. Short Vowels

The short vowel rule is: When a one-syllable word has a vowel in the middle, the vowel usually has a short vowel sound. If the letter after the vowel is f, l, or s, this letter is usually doubled.

Here are some examples of short vowels.

bat: consonant, short vowel, consonant (CVC).

red: consonant, short vowel, consonant (CVC).

fin: consonant, short vowel, consonant (CVC).

pot: consonant, short vowel, consonant (CVC).

sun: consonant, short vowel, consonant (CVC).

Here are some examples of short vowels with double f, l, or s.

cliff: consonant, short vowel, consonant, consonant (CVCC).

bell: consonant, short vowel, consonant, consonant (CVCC).

mess: consonant, short vowel, consonant, consonant (CVCC).

10. Long Vowels

The long vowel rule is: When a word has two vowels, usually the first vowel says its name and the second vowel is silent. If a word has one vowel and it comes at the end of the word, the vowel makes it a long sound.

Here are some examples of long vowels with two vowels.

mail: sounded 'a' and silent 'i'.

sea: sounded 'e' and silent 'a'.

hide: sounded 'i' and silent 'e'.

road: sounded 'o' and silent 'a'.

fruit: sounded 'u' and silent 'i'.

Here are some examples of long vowels with one vowel.

he: consonant, long vowel e.

hi: consonant, long vowel i.

no: consonant, long vowel o.