checks
nounMore than one inspection or examination of something.
nounMore than one written order telling a bank to pay money to a person or company.
nounMore than one mark, usually shaped like a tick, used to show that something is correct or finished.
nounMore than one limit or thing that stops something from happening.
nounA pattern made up of a grid of squares of alternating colours.
nounMore than one bill in a restaurant for food and drink.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: CH Digraph
C and H together make a new sound: /tʃ/, like in 'chop' and 'much'.
When C and H are together, they don't say /k/ + /h/. They make a completely new sound: /tʃ/. This is called a digraph — two letters making one sound.
Tip
CH — choo choo goes the train!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Short E
The letter E makes a short sound, like in 'bed' and 'red'.
When the letter E appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short E sound /ɛ/. This is often confused with short I by new readers.
Tip
E says /ɛ/ like an egg on your head.
Examples
Phonics Rule: CK Digraph
CK together makes the /k/ sound, like in 'back' and 'kick'.
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: Plural -S (/s/ sound)
Adding -S makes a word plural (more than one). After unvoiced sounds, -S says /s/, like 'cats'.
The plural -s says /s/ after unvoiced consonants (p, t, k, f, th). Like -ed, the pronunciation depends on the final sound of the base word.
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.
