SnapPhonics

colder

KOHL-der/ˈkoʊl.dər/adjective
  1. adjectiveHaving a lower temperature than something else.

  2. adjectiveMore unfriendly or distant in the way someone acts toward others.

  3. adjectiveFurther away from the thing you are looking for in a hiding game.

  4. adjectiveMore blue or grey in colour, rather than warm and bright.

  5. adjectiveMore cruel or without kindness.

  6. adjectiveWithout any electricity or power running through it.

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Syllables

colder

2 syllables

Letters

Base word

cold

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

c

Phonics Rule: Hard C

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

o

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable O (Long O)

When O is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the O says its name /oʊ/ — like in 'go' and 'no'.

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 O at the end of a syllable says /oʊ/ (go, no, so, o-pen). The O also says its long name in the 'old' and 'ost' families (cold, most). The long O sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (home) or vowel teams (oa in boat, ow in snow) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long O says its name — O!

Examples

l

Phonics Rule: Letter L

The letter L makes the /l/ sound, like in 'lamp', 'leg', and 'lip'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.

L is a voiced lateral approximant — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while air flows around the sides. Double L (ll) makes the same /l/ sound.

Tip

L is for lamp — light it up with /l/!

Examples

d

Phonics Rule: Letter D

The letter D makes the /d/ sound, like in 'dog', 'day', and 'dig'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.

D is a voiced alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge just behind the upper front teeth, then releases with voice. It reliably makes the /d/ sound in almost all positions.

Tip

D is for dog — and dog starts with /d/!

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

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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