SnapPhonics

location

loh-KAY-shuhn/loʊ.ˈkeɪ.ʃən/noun
  1. nounA particular place or spot somewhere.

  2. nounA place where a film or television show is recorded.

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Syllables

location

3 syllables

Letters

Phonics breakdown

l

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

o

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

c

Phonics Rule: Hard C

C makes the /k/ sound before A, O, U, or a consonant, like in 'cat' and 'cup'.

The letter C makes the hard /k/ sound when followed by A, O, U, or a consonant. This is the default C sound. Examples: cat, cup, coat, cold, crab, class.

Tip

C says K before A, O, U — cat, cup, coat!

Examples

a

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable A (Long A)

When A is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the A says its name /eɪ/ — like in 'ba-by' and 'pa-per'.

This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves that vowel 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone A at the end of a syllable says /eɪ/ (ba-by, a-pron, lady). The long A sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (cake), or vowel teams (ai in rain, ay in play) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long A says its name — A!

Examples

tion

Phonics Rule: Suffix -TION

-TION says /shun/! It turns verbs into nouns, like 'action' and 'nation'.

The suffix -tion is pronounced /ʃən/ (shun). It usually turns a verb into a noun: 'act' → 'action'. The TI makes a /ʃ/ sound, which is unusual for T.

Tip

TION says SHUN — the nation takes action!

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.

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