SnapPhonics

easier

EE-zee-er/ˈiː.ziː.ər/adjective
  1. adjNeeding less skill or work to do.

  2. adjMaking someone feel more comfortable or less worried.

  3. adjMore willing to do what someone asks and not causing trouble.

  4. adjMore relaxed or not as strict and formal.

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Syllables

easier

3 syllables

Letters

Base word

easy

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

ea

Phonics Rule: EA Vowel Team (Long E)

When E and A are together, they usually say long E, like in 'teach' and 'beach'.

The vowel team 'ea' most commonly makes the long E sound /iː/. However, it can also say short E (like 'bread') or long A (like 'great'). The long E pronunciation is by far the most common.

Tip

When two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking.

Examples

s

Phonics Rule: Letter 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

i

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable E (Long E)

When E is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the E says its name /iː/ — like in 'he' and 'me'.

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 E at the end of a syllable says /iː/ (he, me, we, be). The long E sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — vowel teams (ee in tree, ea in read) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long E says its name — E!

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

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