designation
Pronounceddeh-zuhg-NAY-shuhn
nounA name or title that shows what someone or something is.
nounThe choosing and appointing of someone for a job or purpose.
nounThe act of marking or pointing out something in a clear way.
Syllables
4 syllables
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
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 S
Sound“s”·/s/
The letter S usually makes the /s/ sound, like in 'sun', 'sit', and 'sock'. Air hisses through a small gap.
S is a voiceless alveolar fricative when it makes the /s/ sound. At the end of many words it can also make a /z/ sound (as in 'dogs' or 'has'). At the start of a word it is always /s/.
Tip
S hisses like a snake — sssssun!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Schwa
Sound“uh”·/ə/
In unstressed syllables, vowels often make a lazy 'uh' sound called schwa, like the A in 'about'.
Schwa “uh” is the most common vowel sound in English. Any vowel letter can make the schwa sound when it's in an unstressed syllable. It sounds like a quick, lazy 'uh'.
Tip
Schwa is lazy — any vowel can say 'uh' when it's not stressed!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent G in GN
Sound“n”·/n/
In GN, the G is silent! You only say /n/, like in 'gnat' and 'sign'.
When G comes before N at the beginning of a word, or when GN appears at the end, the G is silent.
Tip
G hides from N — you can't hear the gnat!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable A (Long A)
Sound“ay”·/eɪ/
When A is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the A says its name “ay” — like in 'ba-by' and 'pa-per'.
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves that vowel 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone A at the end of a syllable says “ay” (ba-by, a-pron, lady). The long A sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (cake), or vowel teams (ai in rain, ay in play) — but those are not open syllables.
Tip
Long A says its name — A!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -TION
Sound“shun”·/ʃən/
-TION says “shun”! It turns verbs into nouns, like 'action' and 'nation'.
The suffix -tion is pronounced “shun”. It usually turns a verb into a noun: 'act' → 'action'. The TI makes a “sh” sound, which is unusual for T.
Tip
TION says SHUN — the nation takes action!
Examples
What is SnapPhonics?
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