beauty
PronouncedBYOO-tee
nounThe quality of looking attractive and pleasing to see.
nounA person or thing that is attractive and pleasing to look at.
nounSomething that is particularly good or impressive.
nounThe special good qualities that make something clever or admirable.
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
Phonics Rule: EAU says “yoo”
Sound“yoo”·/juː/
The three letters EAU work together and say “yoo”, like in 'beauty'.
EAU is a three-letter vowel team (a trigraph) — the E, A and U make ONE sound together, they are not sounded separately. In beauty and beautiful it says “yoo”, the same sound as the EW in few. In a few words borrowed from French it says “oh” instead — see the companion rule (bureau, plateau).
Tip
EAU is three letters, one sound — beauty!
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: Y as Long E
Sound“ee”·/iː/
When Y is at the end of a longer word, it says long E, like in 'happy' and 'funny'.
When Y appears at the end of a multi-syllable word, it makes the long E sound “ee”. Very common in adjectives (happy, funny, silly) and nouns (baby, candy).
Tip
Y at the end of a long word says EEE — happy, funny, baby!
Examples
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