judo
nounA sport where two people try to throw each other to the ground using special moves and balance.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
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: Open Syllable U — /uː/ (Long U)
In an open syllable, when U follows L, R, S, or J it says 'oo' instead of 'yoo' — like in 'su-per' and 'tru-ly'.
Same open-syllable pattern as the companion Open Syllable U (/juː/) rule, but when the lone U follows L, R, S, or J it drops the Y-glide and says pure /uː/ (su-per, ru-by, tru-ly). Same letter, different sound depending on what comes before it.
Tip
After L, R, S, J — U says oo, not yoo!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter D
The letter D makes the /d/ sound, like in 'dog', 'day', and 'dig'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
D is a voiced alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge just behind the upper front teeth, then releases with voice. It reliably makes the /d/ sound in almost all positions.
Tip
D is for dog — and dog starts with /d/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable O (Long O)
When O is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the O says its name /oʊ/ — like in 'go' and 'no'.
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 O at the end of a syllable says /oʊ/ (go, no, so, o-pen). The O also says its long name in the 'old' and 'ost' families (cold, most). The long O sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (home) or vowel teams (oa in boat, ow in snow) — but those are not open syllables.
Tip
Long O says its name — O!
Examples
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