laughs
PronouncedLAFS
nounSounds and movements people make when they think something is funny.
verbTo make sounds and movements with your face and body when you think something is funny.
nounThings that are funny or make people want to smile.
verbTo make fun of someone or something by laughing at them.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter L
Sound“l”·/l/
The letter L makes the /l/ sound, like in 'lamp', 'leg', and 'lip'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
L is a voiced lateral approximant — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while air flows around the sides. Double L (ll) makes the same /l/ sound.
Tip
L is for lamp — light it up with /l/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: AU says “a” (laugh, aunt)
Sound“a”·/æ/
In a few words AU says short A “a” instead of “aw” — 'laugh' rhymes with 'staff'.
AU almost always says “aw” (author, autumn, because, sauce). A small group of words says short A “a” instead: laugh, laughter, aunt and draught. In laugh and draught the GH says /f/, so laugh is simply “laf”. These are worth learning by sight — the spelling gives no clue.
Tip
Laugh rhymes with staff — not with sauce!
Examples
Phonics Rule: GH as /f/
Sound“f”·/f/
Sometimes GH makes the /f/ sound, like in 'laugh' and 'laughter'.
In some words, GH makes the /f/ sound at the end of words or syllables. Examples: enough, rough, tough, cough, laugh. These must be memorized.
Tip
GH laughs with an /f/ — enough, rough, laugh!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Plural -S (/z/ sound)
Sound“z”·/z/
After a buzzing sound or a vowel, the plural ending says /z/ — like 'dogs' and 'shoes'.
Put a finger on your throat and say 'zzzz' — you feel a buzz. When the word ends in a buzzing (voiced) sound or a vowel, the plural ending buzzes too and says /z/. This happens whether the word is spelled -s (dogs) or -es (shoes, trees), because in shoes the e is silent and only the s is sounded. Most people never notice they are doing this.
Examples
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