mule
nounAn animal that has a donkey father and a horse mother.
nounA shoe that covers your toes but leaves your heel uncovered at the back.
nounA person who is very stubborn and hard to change.
nounA drink made with ginger ale or ginger beer, citrus juice, and alcohol.
Phonics breakdown
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
Phonics Rule: Silent E with U — /juː/ (Magic E)
In the u-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the U say its name with a /j/ glide — like 'cute' and 'use'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the u-consonant-e pattern, the silent E makes U say /juː/ by default. After L, R, S, or J, see the companion rule silent_e_u_e_oo for the /uː/ pronunciation.
Tip
Magic E makes U say YOO!
Examples
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: Silent E with U — /juː/ (Magic E)
In the u-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the U say its name with a /j/ glide — like 'cute' and 'use'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the u-consonant-e pattern, the silent E makes U say /juː/ by default. After L, R, S, or J, see the companion rule silent_e_u_e_oo for the /uː/ pronunciation.
Tip
Magic E makes U say YOO!
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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