age
nounHow many years old someone or something is.
nounA time period in history that is known for special things that happened then.
verbTo grow older or look older.
verbTo let something sit so it gets better with time, like wine or cheese.
nounThe state of being old.
nounA very long time.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable A (Long A)
When A is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the A says its name /eɪ/ — like in 'ba-by' and 'pa-per'.
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves that vowel 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone A at the end of a syllable says /eɪ/ (ba-by, a-pron, lady). The long A sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (cake), or vowel teams (ai in rain, ay in play) — but those are not open syllables.
Tip
Long A says its name — A!
Examples
Phonics Rule: GE says /dʒ/
GE at the end of a word says /dʒ/ (the J sound), like in 'large' and 'page'.
At the end of a word, GE says /dʒ/. It follows a long vowel or consonant (large, page, cage, huge, stage), where DGE follows a short vowel (bridge, badge).
Tip
GE at the end says J — large, page, huge!
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.
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