houses
nounMore than one building where people live.
nounMore than one group of schoolchildren competing together in sports and other activities.
nounMore than one family with all its ancestors and descendants, especially a royal or noble one.
nounMore than one audience watching a live theatrical or similar performance.
nounMore than one building used for a particular business or purpose.
nounMore than one animal's shelter, den, or protective shell.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter 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
Phonics Rule: OU Diphthong
OU makes the /aʊ/ sound, like in 'out' and 'house'.
The diphthong OU glides from /a/ to /ʊ/. It usually appears in the middle of a word. OU has several possible sounds, but /aʊ/ is the most common.
Tip
OU — ouch! I'm out of the house!
Examples
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
Phonics Rule: Suffix -ES
The suffix -ES is added to words ending in S, X, Z, CH, or SH to make them plural or third-person singular.
When a word ends in a hissing or buzzing sound (s, x, z, ch, sh), adding just -S would be hard to say. So -ES is added instead and pronounced /ɪz/ — it adds a syllable. For example: box → boxes, wish → wishes, buzz → buzzes.
Tip
-ES adds a whole extra syllable — box-es, wish-es!
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.