cyclone
Pronouncedsihk-LOHN
nounA huge storm with strong winds that spin around and around in a circle.
nounA very bad tropical storm with powerful spinning winds that happens over the ocean in some parts of the world.
nounA violent wind that spins round and round very fast.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
When C comes before the letters E, I, or Y, it makes the soft /s/ sound instead of the hard /k/ sound. This is called 'Soft C'.
Tip
C is soft before E, I, Y — the city is nice!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Y as Short I
Sound“ih”·/ɪ/
Y can act as a vowel making the short “ih” sound, like in 'gym' and 'myth'.
When Y is the only vowel in a syllable, it often says short “ih” — common in Greek-origin words: gym, myth, system, symbol, crystal, mystery.
Tip
Y says short i — gym, myth, system!
Examples
Phonics Rule: CL Blend
Sound“kl”·/kl/
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
Phonics Rule: Silent E with O (Magic E)
Sound“oh”·/oʊ/
In the o-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the O say its name — like in 'home' and 'bone'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the pattern o-consonant-e (like 'home'), the final E is silent but makes the O say its long sound “oh”.
Tip
Magic E makes O say its name!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
Sound“n”·/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
Phonics Rule: Silent E with O (Magic E)
Sound“oh”·/oʊ/
In the o-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the O say its name — like in 'home' and 'bone'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the pattern o-consonant-e (like 'home'), the final E is silent but makes the O say its long sound “oh”.
Tip
Magic E makes O say its name!
Examples
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