SnapPhonics

cleaner

KLEE-ner/ˈkliː.nər/noun
  1. nounA person whose job is to make rooms and floors clean.

  2. nounA machine or tool that removes dirt from things.

  3. nounA liquid or powder that you use to make something clean.

  4. nounA business that washes and presses clothes.

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Syllables

cleaner

2 syllables

Letters

Base word

clean

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

cl

Phonics Rule: CL Blend

C and L blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'class' and 'clean'.

The blend CL combines /k/ and /l/ spoken quickly together.

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

n

Phonics Rule: Letter N

The letter N makes the /n/ sound, like in 'net', 'nap', and 'nut'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.

N is a voiced alveolar nasal — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while voice hums through the nose. It is one of the most common consonants in English.

Tip

N hums through the nose — say /n/ and feel the buzz!

Examples

er

Phonics Rule: Suffix -ER

Adding -ER can mean 'more' (bigger) or 'a person who' (teacher).

The suffix -er has two main uses: comparative ('big' → 'bigger' = more big) and agent ('teach' → 'teacher' = a person who teaches).

Examples

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