sheep
nounA woolly farm animal with four legs that says baa and gives us wool.
nounA person who does what other people tell them to do without thinking for themselves.
nounSoft leather made from a sheep's skin.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
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
Phonics Rule: EE Vowel Team
When two E's are together, they say long E, like in 'tree' and 'see'.
The vowel team 'ee' almost always makes the long E sound /iː/. This is one of the most reliable vowel teams in English.
Tip
Two E's together always agree — they say /iː/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter P
The letter P makes the /p/ sound, like in 'pan', 'pig', and 'pot'. Both lips press together then pop open.
P is a voiceless bilabial stop — both lips press together and release with a puff of air but no voice. It pairs with B (which is the voiced version of the same mouth position).
Tip
P pops open — press your lips and let it POP!
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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