SnapPhonics

poorest

POO-rihst/ˈpuː.rɪst/adjective
  1. adjectiveHaving the least money or possessions compared to other people.

  2. adjectiveThe lowest in quality or standard.

  3. adjectiveMost lacking or insufficient in a particular way.

  4. adjectiveThe most inadequate or not enough.

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Syllables

poorest

2 syllables

Letters

Base word

poor

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

p

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

oo

Phonics Rule: OO (Long Sound)

OO often makes the long sound, like in 'moon' and 'food'.

The vowel team 'oo' has two sounds. The long sound /uː/ is more common and appears in words like 'moon', 'food', and 'school'.

Tip

OO like the moon — ooooo!

Examples

r

Phonics Rule: Letter R

The letter R makes the /r/ sound, like in 'run', 'red', and 'rope'. The tongue curls back slightly.

R is a voiced approximant. The tongue curls back or bunches up without touching the roof of the mouth. When R follows a vowel it changes that vowel's sound (r-controlled vowels).

Tip

R is for run — /r/ with a curl of the tongue!

Examples

est

Phonics Rule: Suffix -EST

Adding -EST means 'the most', like 'biggest' and 'fastest'.

The suffix -est makes a superlative — it means 'the most' of something. 'Big' → 'biggest' means the most big of all.

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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