lick
verbTo touch something with your tongue.
nounThe act of moving your tongue across something.
nounA place where animals go to lick salt and minerals from the ground.
nounA quick try at doing something.
nounA short tune or musical phrase.
nounA small amount of something.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter 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: Short I
The letter I makes a short sound, like in 'sit' and 'big'.
When the letter I appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short I sound /ɪ/. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.
Tip
I says /ɪ/ like an itch you can't miss.
Examples
Phonics Rule: CK Digraph
CK together makes the /k/ sound, like in 'back' and 'kick'.
The digraph 'ck' appears right after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word. If the vowel is short, use CK. If the vowel is long, use just K (like 'make').
Tip
Short vowel? CK comes quick — back, kick, duck!
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.
