beams
nounRays of light shining from the sun or another bright thing.
nounLarge pieces of wood or metal used to hold up buildings or structures.
verbTo shine brightly or send out light.
verbTo smile very widely and happily.
nounNarrow rectangular bars used as part of a balance scale.
nounA low bar used in gymnastics to do tricks and movements.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter 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
Phonics Rule: EA Vowel Team (Long E)
When E and A are together, they usually say long E, like in 'teach' and 'beach'.
The vowel team 'ea' most commonly makes the long E sound /iː/. However, it can also say short E (like 'bread') or long A (like 'great'). The long E pronunciation is by far the most common.
Tip
When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter M
The letter M makes the /m/ sound, like in 'map', 'mud', and 'mop'. Both lips press together with voice through the nose.
M is a voiced bilabial nasal — both lips press together while the voice hums through the nose. Double M (mm) makes the same /m/ sound.
Tip
M hums like mmm — press your lips and hum!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Plural -S (/z/ sound)
After voiced sounds, -S says /z/, like in 'dogs' and 'birds'.
After voiced consonants and vowels, the plural -s says /z/. Most people don't notice this — it sounds natural.
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.