checkboxes
Pronouncedcheckboxes
nounSmall squares on a computer screen that you can click to turn something on or off.
nounEmpty squares printed on a form where you can draw a mark to show your choice.
Syllables
3 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: CH Digraph
Sound“ch”·/tʃ/
C and H together make a new sound: “ch”, like in 'chop' and 'much'.
When C and H are together, they don't say /k/ + /h/. They make a completely new sound: “ch”. This is called a digraph — two letters making one sound.
Tip
CH — choo choo goes the train!
Examples
When the letter E appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short E sound “eh”. This is often confused with short I by new readers.
Tip
E says “eh” like an egg on your head.
Examples
The digraph 'ck' appears right after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word. If the vowel is short, use CK. If the vowel is long, use just K (like 'make').
Tip
Short vowel? CK comes quick — back, kick, duck!
Examples
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 O appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short O sound “ah”. In American English, this sounds like 'ah'.
Tip
O says “ah” like 'Ahh!' said the doctor.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter X
Sound“ks”·/ks/
The letter X usually makes the /ks/ sound, like in 'fox', 'box', and 'mix'.
X is unusual — it represents two sounds blended together: /k/ + /s/ = /ks/. At the start of a word it sometimes makes a /z/ sound (xylophone). At the end of words it reliably says /ks/.
Tip
X says /ks/ — like a fox in a box!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -ES
Sound“iz”·/ɪz/
When a word already ends in a hissing or buzzing sound, -ES adds a whole extra syllable that says “iz” — like 'boxes' and 'pages'.
Try saying 'boxs' — you can't, the two hissing sounds run together. So the ending opens up into its own syllable: box → box-es. This happens after s, x, z, ch and sh (boxes, buzzes, watches, wishes), and also after a soft c or soft g, which are hissing and buzzing sounds themselves (faces, pages, bridges). When the word does NOT end in one of those sounds, the e goes quiet and the ending is just an /s/ or a /z/ — cakes, shoes.
Tip
-ES adds a whole extra syllable — box-es, wish-es!
Examples
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