against
Pronounceduh-GEHNST
prepOpposing or trying to stop something, as in 'I am against eating too much candy'.
prepTouching or leaning on something, as in 'She stood against the wall'.
prepCompeting with or playing another side, as in 'Our team plays against theirs on Saturday'.
prepProtecting yourself from something bad, as in 'Wear a coat against the cold'.
prepIn front of something so it shows up clearly, as in 'The bird looked black against the white snow'.
prepGetting ready for something that might happen, as in 'Save money against a rainy day'.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Schwa
Sound“uh”·/ə/
In unstressed syllables, vowels often make a lazy 'uh' sound called schwa, like the A in 'about'.
Schwa “uh” is the most common vowel sound in English. Any vowel letter can make the schwa sound when it's in an unstressed syllable. It sounds like a quick, lazy 'uh'.
Tip
Schwa is lazy — any vowel can say 'uh' when it's not stressed!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Hard G
Sound“g”·/ɡ/
G makes the /g/ sound before A, O, U, or a consonant, like in 'go' and 'game'.
The letter G makes the hard /g/ sound when followed by A, O, U, or a consonant. Examples: go, game, give, glad, grab.
Tip
G says /g/ before A, O, U — go, game, glad!
Examples
Phonics Rule: AI says “eh” (said, again)
Sound“eh”·/ɛ/
In a few very common words, AI says short E “eh” — 'said' rhymes with 'bed'.
AI almost always says long A “ay” (rain, wait, train). A small group of everyday words break that pattern and say short E “eh” instead: said, again, against. These are worth learning by sight, because the spelling gives no clue.
Tip
Said rhymes with bed — not with paid!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
Sound“n”·/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: ST Blend
Sound“st”·/st/
S and T blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'stop' and 'fast'.
The blend ST combines /s/ and /t/ spoken quickly together. It can appear at the beginning or end of a word.
Examples
What is SnapPhonics?
A phonics reference for teachers, parents and learners. Every English word, broken into the sounds that make it — with audio, syllables, and the rule behind each spelling.
Save words to study lists, build flashcard decks, and scan your own worksheets and books.