athlete
PronouncedATH-leet
nounA person who plays sports and exercises with great skill.
nounA person who competes in running, jumping and throwing events.
nounA person with a very strong and fit body.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
When the letter A appears in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends with a consonant), it usually makes the short A sound “a”. This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says “a” like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: TH Digraph (Unvoiced)
Sound“th”·/θ/
TH can make a soft sound “th”, like in 'think' and 'bath'. Just air, no buzz!
The unvoiced TH “th” is the quiet, breathy version. Your throat doesn't vibrate. Stick your tongue between your teeth and blow air.
Tip
Unvoiced TH is quiet — think with three teeth!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter L
Sound“l”·/l/
The letter L makes the /l/ sound, like in 'lamp', 'leg', and 'lip'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
L is a voiced lateral approximant — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while air flows around the sides. Double L (ll) makes the same /l/ sound.
Tip
L is for lamp — light it up with /l/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent E with E (Magic E)
Sound“ee”·/iː/
In the e-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the first E say its name “ee” — like in 'these' and 'complete'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the pattern e-consonant-e (like 'these'), the final E is silent but it makes the first E say its long sound “ee”. This is the least common of the Magic-E patterns. Examples: these, theme, scene, complete, gene, eve.
Tip
Magic E makes E say its name — these, theme, complete!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter T
Sound“t”·/t/
The letter T makes the /t/ sound, like in 'top', 'tap', and 'ten'. The tongue tip taps behind the upper teeth.
T is a voiceless alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth and releases with a puff of air. Double T (tt) makes the same /t/ sound.
Tip
T taps — touch your tongue to make /t/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent E with E (Magic E)
Sound“ee”·/iː/
In the e-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the first E say its name “ee” — like in 'these' and 'complete'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the pattern e-consonant-e (like 'these'), the final E is silent but it makes the first E say its long sound “ee”. This is the least common of the Magic-E patterns. Examples: these, theme, scene, complete, gene, eve.
Tip
Magic E makes E say its name — these, theme, complete!
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.