cautiously
PronouncedKAW-shuhs-lee
advIn a way that shows you are careful to avoid danger or problems.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Hard C
Sound“k”·/k/
C makes the /k/ sound before A, O, U, or a consonant, like in 'cat' and 'cup'.
The letter C makes the hard /k/ sound when followed by A, O, U, or a consonant. This is the default C sound. Examples: cat, cup, coat, cold, crab, class.
Tip
C says K before A, O, U — cat, cup, coat!
Examples
Phonics Rule: AU Vowel Team
Sound“aw”·/ɔː/
When A and U are together, they make the “aw” sound, like in 'author' and 'pause'.
The vowel team AU makes the “aw” sound (same as AW). It appears in the middle of words. Examples: author, pause, fault, haunt, cause.
Tip
AU says aw — author, pause, fault!
Examples
Phonics Rule: TI says “sh”
Sound“sh”·/ʃ/
Before another vowel, TI often says “sh”, like in 'patient' and 'national'.
When TI comes before another vowel, the two letters blend into the “sh” sound: patient, spatial, national, initial. This is the same “sh” you hear in the -tion ending (nation), here inside words like -tial and -tional.
Tip
TI before a vowel says “sh” — be a patient, national helper!
Examples
Phonics Rule: OU says “uh” (-ous)
Sound“uh”·/ə/
OU says the lazy schwa “uh” in the ending -OUS, like in 'famous' and 'generous'.
In the suffix -ous, OU is unstressed and says schwa “uh”: famous, generous, nervous, dangerous, enormous.
Tip
- OUS is famous for the lazy uh — famous, nervous!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter S
Sound“s”·/s/
The letter S usually makes the /s/ sound, like in 'sun', 'sit', and 'sock'. Air hisses through a small gap.
S is a voiceless alveolar fricative when it makes the /s/ sound. At the end of many words it can also make a /z/ sound (as in 'dogs' or 'has'). At the start of a word it is always /s/.
Tip
S hisses like a snake — sssssun!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -LY
Sound“lee”·/li/
Adding -LY to a word usually makes it describe HOW something is done, like 'slowly' and 'quickly'.
The suffix -ly usually turns an adjective into an adverb. 'Slow' → 'slowly' means 'in a slow way'.
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.
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