scratch
PronouncedSKRACH
verbTo rub your skin with your nails because it feels itchy.
nounA mark or cut on a surface made by something sharp or rough.
verbTo cross out or strike through words on a page.
nounA small wound or injury on the skin.
verbTo dig or scrape with claws or fingernails to hurt someone in a fight.
nounStarting from the very beginning with nothing prepared beforehand.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: SCR Blend
Sound“skr”·/skr/
SCR blends /s/, /k/, and /r/ together, like in 'scratch', 'scream', and 'scrub'.
SCR is a three-letter onset blend combining /s/ + /k/ + /r/. All three consonant sounds are heard in quick succession.
Tip
SCR scratches — /skr/ scratch, scream, scrub!
Examples
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: TCH Trigraph
Sound“ch”·/tʃ/
TCH makes the same sound as CH — “ch”. It comes after a short vowel, like in 'watch' and 'catch'.
TCH appears after a short vowel in a one-syllable word. It makes the same “ch” sound as CH. Think of it as the 'short vowel version' of CH, similar to CK being the short vowel version of K.
Tip
Short vowel? Add a T before CH — catch, match, watch!
Examples
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