savory
Having a salty or meaty taste, not sweet.
Syllables
3 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter S
The letter S usually makes the /s/ sound, like in 'sun', 'sit', and 'sock'. Air hisses through a small gap.
S is a voiceless alveolar fricative when it makes the /s/ sound. At the end of many words it can also make a /z/ sound (as in 'dogs' or 'has'). At the start of a word it is always /s/.
Tip
S hisses like a snake — sssssun!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable A (Long A)
When A is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the A says its name /eɪ/ — like in 'ba-by' and 'pa-per'.
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves that vowel 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone A at the end of a syllable says /eɪ/ (ba-by, a-pron, lady). The long A sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (cake), or vowel teams (ai in rain, ay in play) — but those are not open syllables.
Tip
Long A says its name — A!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter V
The letter V makes the /v/ sound, like in 'van', 'vet', and 'vine'. Upper teeth touch the lower lip with voice.
V is a voiced labiodental fricative — the upper front teeth rest on the lower lip while air and voice flow through. It is the voiced partner of F. English words rarely end in V; they usually add an E (have, live, give).
Tip
V is for van — /v/ vibrates your lips!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled OR
When R comes after O, it makes the /ɔːr/ sound, like in 'for' and 'corn'.
OR makes the /ɔːr/ sound. Unlike ER/IR/UR which all sound the same, OR has its own distinct sound. The companion rule r_controlled_or_er covers the /ɜːr/ pronunciation after W (word, work).
Tip
OR — the horse in the corner says /ɔːr/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Y as Long E
When Y is at the end of a longer word, it says long E, like in 'happy' and 'funny'.
When Y appears at the end of a multi-syllable word, it makes the long E sound /iː/. Very common in adjectives (happy, funny, silly) and nouns (baby, candy).
Tip
Y at the end of a long word says EEE — happy, funny, baby!
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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