delay
Pronounceddih-LAY
verbTo make something happen later instead of now.
verbTo stop someone or something from moving forward for a time.
nounA length of time that passes before something happens.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter D
Sound“d”·/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
When the letter E appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short E sound “eh”. This is often confused with short I by new readers.
Tip
E says “eh” like an egg on your head.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter L
Sound“l”·/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
Phonics Rule: AY Vowel Team
Sound“ay”·/eɪ/
AY at the end of a word says long A, like in 'play' and 'day'.
The vowel team 'ay' makes the long A sound “ay” and typically appears at the end of a word or syllable. It's the end-of-word partner to 'ai'.
Tip
AY at the end of the day says long A!
Examples
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