SnapPhonics

photo

FOH-toh/ˈfoʊ.ˌtoʊ/noun
  1. nounA picture made with a camera.

  2. verbTo take a picture with a camera.

  3. nounA picture stored on a computer or phone.

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Syllables

photo

2 syllables

Letters

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

ph

Phonics Rule: PH Digraph

PH makes the /f/ sound, like in 'phone' and 'photo'. It comes from Greek!

The digraph 'ph' always makes the /f/ sound. These words usually come from Greek. If you see PH, just say /f/.

Tip

PH phones home with an /f/ sound!

Examples

o

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable O (Long O)

When O is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the O says its name /oʊ/ — like in 'go' and 'no'.

This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone O at the end of a syllable says /oʊ/ (go, no, so, o-pen). The O also says its long name in the 'old' and 'ost' families (cold, most). The long O sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (home) or vowel teams (oa in boat, ow in snow) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long O says its name — O!

Examples

t

Phonics Rule: Letter T

The letter T makes the /t/ sound, like in 'top', 'tap', and 'ten'. The tongue tip taps behind the upper teeth.

T is a voiceless alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth and releases with a puff of air. Double T (tt) makes the same /t/ sound.

Tip

T taps — touch your tongue to make /t/!

Examples

o

Phonics Rule: Open Syllable O (Long O)

When O is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the O says its name /oʊ/ — like in 'go' and 'no'.

This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone O at the end of a syllable says /oʊ/ (go, no, so, o-pen). The O also says its long name in the 'old' and 'ost' families (cold, most). The long O sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (home) or vowel teams (oa in boat, ow in snow) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long O says its name — O!

Examples

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