SnapPhonics

decided

dih-SEYE-dihd/ˌdɪ.ˈsaɪ.dɪd/verb
  1. verbMade a choice about something after thinking about it.

  2. adjectiveVery clear and easy to notice.

  3. adjectiveHaving made up your mind in a firm way.

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Syllables

decided

3 syllables

Letters

Base word

decide

Phonics breakdown

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

e

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

c

Phonics Rule: Soft C

C says /s/ before E, I, or Y, like in 'city' and 'face'.

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

i

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable I (Long I)

When I is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the I says its name /aɪ/ — like in 'hi' and 'fi-nal'.

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 I at the end of a syllable says /aɪ/ (hi, si-lent). The I also says its long name before two consonants in the 'ind' and 'ild' families (find, kind, child, mild). The long I sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (bike) or igh (night) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long I says its name — I!

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

ed

Phonics Rule: Suffix -ED (/ɪd/ sound)

After T or D, -ED says /ɪd/ as an extra syllable, like in 'wanted' and 'needed'.

When the base word ends in T or D, -ed adds a whole new syllable /ɪd/. This is the only time the E in -ed is pronounced.

Tip

After T or D, -ED gets its own beat — want-ED, need-ED!

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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