originally
Pronounceder-IH-juh-nuh-lee
advAt the start or beginning, before anything else happened.
advIn a fresh or new way that has not been done before.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled OR
Sound“or”·/ɔːr/
When R comes after O, it makes the “or” sound, like in 'for' and 'corn'.
OR makes the “or” sound. Unlike ER, IR, UR which all sound the same, OR has its own distinct sound. The companion rule r_controlled_or_er covers the “er” pronunciation after W (word, work).
Tip
OR — the horse in the corner says “or”!
Examples
When the letter I appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short I sound “ih”. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.
Tip
I says “ih” like an itch you can't miss.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Soft G
Sound“j”·/dʒ/
G sometimes says “j” before E, I, or Y, like in 'gem' and 'giant'.
When G comes before E, I, or Y, it sometimes makes the soft “j” sound (like J). However, this rule has many exceptions ('get', 'give', 'girl').
Tip
G can be gentle like a giant!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Schwa
Sound“uh”·/ə/
In unstressed syllables, vowels often make a lazy 'uh' sound called schwa, like the A in 'about'.
Schwa “uh” is the most common vowel sound in English. Any vowel letter can make the schwa sound when it's in an unstressed syllable. It sounds like a quick, lazy 'uh'.
Tip
Schwa is lazy — any vowel can say 'uh' when it's not stressed!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
Sound“n”·/n/
The letter N makes the /n/ sound, like in 'net', 'nap', and 'nut'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
N is a voiced alveolar nasal — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while voice hums through the nose. It is one of the most common consonants in English.
Tip
N hums through the nose — say /n/ and feel the buzz!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Schwa
Sound“uh”·/ə/
In unstressed syllables, vowels often make a lazy 'uh' sound called schwa, like the A in 'about'.
Schwa “uh” is the most common vowel sound in English. Any vowel letter can make the schwa sound when it's in an unstressed syllable. It sounds like a quick, lazy 'uh'.
Tip
Schwa is lazy — any vowel can say 'uh' when it's not stressed!
Examples
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: Suffix -LY
Sound“lee”·/li/
Adding -LY to a word usually makes it describe HOW something is done, like 'slowly' and 'quickly'.
The suffix -ly usually turns an adjective into an adverb. 'Slow' → 'slowly' means 'in a slow way'.
Examples
What is SnapPhonics?
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