palm
PronouncedPAHM
the inner surface of your hand between your wrist and fingers; or a tall tropical tree with large leaves
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter P
Sound“p”·/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: Short A
Sound“a”·/æ/
The letter A makes a short sound, like in 'cat' and 'bat'.
When the letter A appears in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends with a consonant), it usually makes the short A sound “a”. This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says “a” like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent L
Sound“silent”
Sometimes the L is silent — you don't say it, like in 'could', 'would', and 'half'.
In some words the L is silent. You see it, but you don't say it. This happens in the helper words could, should, and would, and in words like half, calf, calm, palm, and yolk. (When L comes before K it also goes silent — walk, talk, chalk — but there the A+L team already spells the vowel sound.)
Tip
Sometimes L is silent — you could, would, should not say it!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter M
Sound“m”·/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
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