Every sound, explained
Phonics reference for parents and tutors — sounds, letter patterns, and concepts in plain language.
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CVC words, explained
Consonant-vowel-consonant words like cat, sun, and top are the first real words children decode.
Phonics Concepts
The /æ/ sound (short A)
The /æ/ sound as heard in “cat”.
Short Vowels
The /ɒ/ sound (short O)
The /ɒ/ sound as heard in “hot”.
Short Vowels
The /ɛ/ sound (short E)
The /ɛ/ sound as heard in “bed”.
Short Vowels
The /ɪ/ sound (short I)
The /ɪ/ sound as heard in “sit”.
Short Vowels
The /m/ sound (M)
The /m/ sound as heard in “man”.
Consonants
The /p/ sound (P)
The /p/ sound as heard in “pig”.
Consonants
The /s/ sound (S)
The /s/ sound as heard in “sun”.
Consonants
The /ʃ/ sound (sh)
The /ʃ/ sound as heard in “ship”.
Consonants
The /t/ sound (T)
The /t/ sound as heard in “top”.
Consonants
The /ʌ/ sound (short U)
The /ʌ/ sound as heard in “cup”.
Short Vowels
What is decoding?
Decoding is turning letters into sounds and sounds into words — the core mechanical skill of reading.
Phonics Concepts