scratch
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
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
Phonics Rule: Short A
The letter A makes a short sound, like in 'cat' and 'bat'.
When the letter A appears in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends with a consonant), it usually makes the short A sound /æ/. This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says /æ/ like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: TCH Trigraph
TCH makes the same sound as CH — /tʃ/. 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 /tʃ/ 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
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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