SnapPhonics

fishing

PronouncedFIH-shihng

/ˈfɪ.ʃɪŋ/noun
  1. nounThe activity of trying to catch fish with a hook, net, or trap.

  2. nounThe business of catching fish and selling them.

  3. nounA place where people catch fish.

Save to your word list — create a free account

Syllables

fishing

2 syllables

Letters

Base word

fish

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

f

Phonics Rule: Letter F

Sound“f”·/f/

The letter F makes the /f/ sound, like in 'fish', 'fun', and 'fox'. The upper teeth touch the lower lip.

F is a voiceless labiodental fricative — the upper front teeth rest on the lower lip while air flows through to make the /f/ sound. It is very consistent.

Tip

F is for fish — and fish starts with /f/!

Examples

i

Phonics Rule: Short I

Sound“ih”·/ɪ/

The letter I makes a short sound, like in 'sit' and 'big'.

When the letter I appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short I sound “ih”. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.

Tip

I says “ih” like an itch you can't miss.

Examples

sh

Phonics Rule: SH Digraph

Sound“sh”·/ʃ/

S and H together make the quiet sound “sh”, like in 'ship' and 'fish'.

The digraph 'sh' makes the “sh” sound. Think of the 'shh, be quiet' sound. It can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.

Tip

SH says 'shhh' — be quiet on the ship!

Examples

ing

Phonics Rule: Suffix -ING

Sound“ing”·/ɪŋ/

Adding -ING to a verb shows something is happening right now, like 'running' and 'playing'.

The suffix -ing is added to verbs to show an ongoing action (present participle). Sometimes the base word changes: drop silent E ('make' → 'making'), double final consonant ('run' → 'running').

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.

Save words to study lists, build flashcard decks, and scan your own worksheets and books.