afternoon
nounThe time of day after lunchtime and before evening.
nounA party or social event that happens in the afternoon.
Syllables
3 syllables
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Short A
The letter A makes a short sound, like in 'cat' and 'bat'.
When the letter A appears in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends with a consonant), it usually makes the short A sound /æ/. This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says /æ/ like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: FT End Blend
FT at the end of a syllable blends /f/ and /t/ together, like in 'left', 'soft', and 'gift'.
FT is an end blend where the voiceless /f/ flows into the voiceless stop /t/. Both teeth-and-lip /f/ and tongue-tap /t/ are heard.
Tip
FT lifts at the end — left, soft, gift!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled ER
When R comes after E, it makes the /ɜːr/ sound, like in 'her' and 'fern'.
ER makes the same sound as IR and UR — they all say /ɜːr/. ER is the most common spelling of this sound, especially at the end of words.
Tip
ER, IR, and UR all sound the same — Bossy R wins again!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
The letter N makes the /n/ sound, like in 'net', 'nap', and 'nut'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
N is a voiced alveolar nasal — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while voice hums through the nose. It is one of the most common consonants in English.
Tip
N hums through the nose — say /n/ and feel the buzz!
Examples
Phonics Rule: OO (Long Sound)
OO often makes the long sound, like in 'moon' and 'food'.
The vowel team 'oo' has two sounds. The long sound /uː/ is more common and appears in words like 'moon', 'food', and 'school'.
Tip
OO like the moon — ooooo!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
The letter N makes the /n/ sound, like in 'net', 'nap', and 'nut'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
N is a voiced alveolar nasal — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while voice hums through the nose. It is one of the most common consonants in English.
Tip
N hums through the nose — say /n/ and feel the buzz!
Examples
What is SnapPhonics?
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