SnapPhonics

shallow

SHA-loh/ˈʃæ.loʊ/adjective
  1. adjectiveNot very deep from top to bottom.

  2. adjectiveInterested only in things that are simple or not serious.

  3. nounA part of a river or sea that is not very deep.

  4. adjectiveNot steep; almost flat or level.

  5. verbTo make something less deep.

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Syllables

shallow

2 syllables

Letters

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

sh

Phonics Rule: SH Digraph

S and H together make the quiet sound /ʃ/, like in 'ship' and 'fish'.

The digraph 'sh' makes the /ʃ/ sound. Think of the 'shh, be quiet' sound. It can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of a word.

Tip

SH says 'shhh' — be quiet on the ship!

Examples

a

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

ll

Phonics Rule: Double Consonant

Two of the same consonant together make just one sound, like the LL in 'ball' or TT in 'butter'.

When two identical consonants appear together, they make just one consonant sound, and the doubling signals a short vowel before it. A common case is the FLOSS rule: a one-syllable word with a short vowel doubles a final f, l, s, or z (off, ball, miss, buzz). Examples: ball, butter, happy, mitten, egg, off.

Tip

Double consonants make one sound — ball, butter, egg!

Examples

ow

Phonics Rule: OW (Long O Sound)

OW sometimes says long O, like in 'snow' and 'show'.

The spelling 'ow' can make the long O sound /oʊ/, especially at the end of a word. It can also make the /aʊ/ diphthong sound (like 'cow').

Tip

Snow falls slow — OW says long O!

Examples

What is SnapPhonics?

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