helper
PronouncedHEHL-per
nounSomeone who helps another person do something.
nounSomething that makes a job easier or helps you do something.
nounA person who does cleaning and cooking work in a home.
nounA locomotive that helps pull a train, usually when going uphill.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter H
Sound“h”·/h/
The letter H makes the /h/ sound, like in 'hat', 'hop', and 'hen'. It is a soft breath of air.
H is a voiceless glottal fricative — just a puff of air with no friction. It always appears before a vowel and is sometimes silent (as in 'hour' or 'honest').
Tip
H is a puff of air — breathe out and say /h/!
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: LP End Blend
Sound“lp”·/lp/
LP at the end of a syllable blends /l/ and /p/ together, like in 'help' and 'gulp'.
LP is an end blend — you hear both the /l/ and the /p/. The tongue makes /l/, then the lips pop for /p/.
Tip
LP blends at the end — help, gulp, yelp!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -ER
Sound“er”·/ɜːr/
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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