paintings
nounPictures made by using paint on a surface like canvas or paper.
nounThe activity of putting paint on something to create a picture or cover it.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter P
The letter P makes the /p/ sound, like in 'pan', 'pig', and 'pot'. Both lips press together then pop open.
P is a voiceless bilabial stop — both lips press together and release with a puff of air but no voice. It pairs with B (which is the voiced version of the same mouth position).
Tip
P pops open — press your lips and let it POP!
Examples
Phonics Rule: AI Vowel Team
When A and I are together, they say long A, like in 'rain' and 'train'.
The vowel team 'ai' makes the long A sound /eɪ/. It usually appears in the middle of a word. At the end of a word, the same sound is usually spelled 'ay'.
Tip
AI in the middle says long A — rain on the train!
Examples
Phonics Rule: NT End Blend
NT at the end of a syllable blends /n/ and /t/ together, like in 'tent', 'mint', and 'want'.
NT is a very common end blend. The nasal /n/ flows into the stop /t/. In fast speech the /t/ is sometimes barely voiced, but both sounds are present.
Tip
NT tents up at the end — tent, mint, hunt!
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: NG Digraph
NG together makes the /ŋ/ sound at the back of your mouth, like in 'ring' and 'song'.
The digraph 'ng' makes the nasal sound /ŋ/. This sound is made at the back of your mouth/throat. It almost always appears at the end of a word or syllable.
Tip
Sing a song — NG rings along!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Plural -S (/z/ sound)
After voiced sounds, -S says /z/, like in 'dogs' and 'birds'.
After voiced consonants and vowels, the plural -s says /z/. Most people don't notice this — it sounds natural.
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.