january
The first month of the year.
Syllables
4 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter J
Sound“j”·/dʒ/
The letter J makes the "j" sound, like in 'jump', 'jar', and 'jet'.
J always makes the "j" 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 "j" when you jump!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Short A
Sound“a”·/æ/
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 "a". This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says "a" like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
Sound“n”·/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
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable U — /juː/ (Long U)
Sound“yoo”·/juː/
When U is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the U says its name with a /j/ glide — like in 'mu-sic' and 'hu-man'.
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone U at the end of a syllable says "yoo" (mu-sic, hu-man, u-nit). After L, R, S, or J the Y-glide drops and U says "oo" instead — see the companion Open Syllable U ("oo") rule.
Tip
Long U says its name with a YOO sound!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled AR
Sound“ar”·/ɑːr/
When R comes after A, it changes the sound to "ar", like in 'car' and 'star'.
When A is followed by R, the R 'bosses' the vowel and changes its sound. Instead of short A or long A, you hear "ar". R-controlled vowels are sometimes called 'Bossy R'.
Tip
Bossy R takes the car to the farm!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Y as Long E
Sound“ee”·/iː/
When Y is at the end of a longer word, it says long E, like in 'happy' and 'funny'.
When Y appears at the end of a multi-syllable word, it makes the long E sound "ee". Very common in adjectives (happy, funny, silly) and nouns (baby, candy).
Tip
Y at the end of a long word says EEE — happy, funny, baby!
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.