banker
PronouncedBANG-ker
nounSomeone who works at a bank and helps people save or borrow money.
nounThe person who holds the money and deals the cards in a card game.
nounA helper engine attached to the back of a train to help it go up a steep hill.
nounA feral horse that lives on the islands of North Carolina's Outer Banks.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter B
Sound“b”·/b/
The letter B makes the /b/ sound, like in 'bat', 'big', and 'bug'. Both lips press together then release.
B is a voiced bilabial stop — both lips press together and release with voice. It always makes the /b/ sound except when silent at the end of words after m (as in 'lamb' or 'comb').
Tip
B looks like a bat — and bat starts with /b/!
Examples
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: NK End Blend
Sound“ngk”·/ŋk/
NK at the end of a syllable makes the “ngk” sound, like in 'sink', 'bank', and 'drink'.
NK blends the nasal “ng” (like in 'sing') with /k/. The N in NK is not a regular /n/ — it shifts to “ng” because of the K that follows.
Tip
NK ends with a clunk — sink, bank, drink!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -ER
Sound“er”·/ɜːr/
Adding -ER can mean 'more' (bigger) or 'a person who' (teacher).
The suffix -er has two main uses: comparative ('big' → 'bigger' = more big) and agent ('teach' → 'teacher' = a person who teaches).
Examples
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