SnapPhonics

marriage

MEH-rihj/ˈmɛ.rɪdʒ/noun
  1. nounA close legal relationship between two or more people who have committed to live together as a family.

  2. nounA ceremony where people promise to be partners and become a family.

  3. nounThe state of being married to another person.

  4. nounA strong connection between two different things that join together.

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Syllables

marriage

2 syllables

Letters

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

m

Phonics Rule: Letter M

The letter M makes the /m/ sound, like in 'map', 'mud', and 'mop'. Both lips press together with voice through the nose.

M is a voiced bilabial nasal — both lips press together while the voice hums through the nose. Double M (mm) makes the same /m/ sound.

Tip

M hums like mmm — press your lips and hum!

Examples

ar

Phonics Rule: R-Controlled AR

When R comes after A, it changes the sound to /ɑːr/, like in 'car' and 'star'.

When A is followed by R, the R 'bosses' the vowel and changes its sound. Instead of short A or long A, you hear /ɑːr/. R-controlled vowels are sometimes called 'Bossy R'.

Tip

Bossy R takes the car to the farm!

Examples

r

Phonics Rule: Letter R

The letter R makes the /r/ sound, like in 'run', 'red', and 'rope'. The tongue curls back slightly.

R is a voiced approximant. The tongue curls back or bunches up without touching the roof of the mouth. When R follows a vowel it changes that vowel's sound (r-controlled vowels).

Tip

R is for run — /r/ with a curl of the tongue!

Examples

i

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

age

Phonics Rule: Suffix -AGE

In many words -AGE says /ij/, like in 'village' and 'message'.

When -AGE is an unstressed ending, it sounds like /ɪdʒ/ (like '-ij') — village, message, cottage, package, manage, courage. (In words like 'age', 'cage', and 'stage' the A says long A — those are different.)

Tip

A message in the village — -AGE says /ij/!

Examples

What is SnapPhonics?

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