journey
nounA trip from one place to another.
verbTo travel from one place to another.
nounA difficult or important experience that helps someone grow and change.
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: OUR says /ɜːr/
OUR can make the /ɜːr/ sound (like 'er' in 'her'), in 'journey' and 'courage'.
In a few words OUR says the /ɜːr/ sound (same as ER/IR/UR): journey, courage, nourish, flourish, courteous.
Tip
A journey takes courage — journey, courage!
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
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable E (Long E)
When E is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the E says its name /iː/ — like in 'he' and 'me'.
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 E at the end of a syllable says /iː/ (he, me, we, be). The long E sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — vowel teams (ee in tree, ea in read) — but those are not open syllables.
Tip
Long E says its name — E!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Y as Long E
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 /iː/. 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?
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