grain
nounThe seeds of plants like wheat, rice, and barley that people eat.
nounA single seed from a cereal plant.
nounA tiny piece or particle of something.
nounThe pattern of lines you can see in wood or other materials.
verbTo feed grain to an animal.
verbTo make a surface look like it has the texture of wood or another material.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: GR Blend
G and R blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'green' and 'grow'.
The blend GR combines /ɡ/ and /r/ spoken quickly together.
Examples
Phonics Rule: AI Vowel Team
When A and I are together, they say long A, like in 'rain' and 'train'.
The vowel team 'ai' makes the long A sound /eɪ/. It usually appears in the middle of a word. At the end of a word, the same sound is usually spelled 'ay'.
Tip
AI in the middle says long A — rain on the train!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
The letter N makes the /n/ sound, like in 'net', 'nap', and 'nut'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
N is a voiced alveolar nasal — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while voice hums through the nose. It is one of the most common consonants in English.
Tip
N hums through the nose — say /n/ and feel the buzz!
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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