SnapPhonics

beauty

BYOO-tee/ˈbjuː.tiː/noun
  1. nounThe quality of looking attractive and pleasing to see.

  2. nounA person or thing that is attractive and pleasing to look at.

  3. nounSomething that is particularly good or impressive.

  4. nounThe special good qualities that make something clever or admirable.

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Syllables

beauty

2 syllables

Letters

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

b

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

ea

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

u

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable U — /juː/ (Long U)

When U is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the U says its name with a /j/ glide — like in 'mu-sic' and 'hu-man'.

This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone U at the end of a syllable says /juː/ (mu-sic, hu-man, u-nit). After L, R, S, or J the Y-glide drops and U says /uː/ instead — see the companion Open Syllable U (/uː/) rule.

Tip

Long U says its name with a YOO sound!

Examples

t

Phonics Rule: Letter 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

y

Phonics Rule: Y as Long E

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 /iː/. 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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