jam
nounA sweet food made from fruit cooked with sugar until thick.
nounA difficult or awkward situation that is hard to get out of.
nounWhen traffic or people are stuck in one place and cannot move.
verbTo push something forcefully into a tight or narrow space.
verbTo play music together in an informal or improvised way.
verbTo hurt a finger or toe by suddenly squeezing the tip.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter J
The letter J makes the /dʒ/ sound, like in 'jump', 'jar', and 'jet'.
J always makes the /dʒ/ sound (like the G in 'gem'). It is a voiced affricate — the tongue briefly stops the airflow then releases with friction.
Tip
J is for jump — feel the /dʒ/ when you jump!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Short A
The letter A makes a short sound, like in 'cat' and 'bat'.
When the letter A appears in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends with a consonant), it usually makes the short A sound /æ/. This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says /æ/ like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter M
The letter M makes the /m/ sound, like in 'map', 'mud', and 'mop'. Both lips press together with voice through the nose.
M is a voiced bilabial nasal — both lips press together while the voice hums through the nose. Double M (mm) makes the same /m/ sound.
Tip
M hums like mmm — press your lips and hum!
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.