quartz
nounA hard, shiny mineral found in rocks and sand all around the world.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: QU Blend
QU always makes the /kw/ sound together, like in 'queen', 'quick', and 'quit'.
Q almost never appears without U in English. The QU combination blends /k/ and /w/ into a single unit. Think of QU as a team that always works together.
Tip
QU is a team — /kw/ like a duck that says quack!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled AR
When R comes after A, it changes the sound to /ɑːr/, like in 'car' and 'star'.
When A is followed by R, the R 'bosses' the vowel and changes its sound. Instead of short A or long A, you hear /ɑːr/. R-controlled vowels are sometimes called 'Bossy R'.
Tip
Bossy R takes the car to the farm!
Examples
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
Phonics Rule: Letter Z
The letter Z makes the /z/ sound, like in 'zip', 'zoo', and 'buzz'. It buzzes like a bee.
Z is a voiced alveolar fricative — air hisses through a small gap with voice added, creating a buzzing sound. It is the voiced partner of S. Double Z (zz) makes the same /z/ sound.
Tip
Z buzzes like a bee — zzzzzip!
Examples
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