shelf
PronouncedSHEHLF
nounA flat board attached to a wall or inside a cupboard for putting things on.
nounA how much something can hold.
nounA piece of rock or sand just below the surface of the sea.
nounA rock that sticks out from a cliff or mountain side.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: SH Digraph
Sound“sh”·/ʃ/
S and H together make the quiet sound “sh”, like in 'ship' and 'fish'.
The digraph 'sh' makes the “sh” 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
When the letter E appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short E sound “eh”. This is often confused with short I by new readers.
Tip
E says “eh” like an egg on your head.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter L
Sound“l”·/l/
The letter L makes the /l/ sound, like in 'lamp', 'leg', and 'lip'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
L is a voiced lateral approximant — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while air flows around the sides. Double L (ll) makes the same /l/ sound.
Tip
L is for lamp — light it up with /l/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter F
Sound“f”·/f/
The letter F makes the /f/ sound, like in 'fish', 'fun', and 'fox'. The upper teeth touch the lower lip.
F is a voiceless labiodental fricative — the upper front teeth rest on the lower lip while air flows through to make the /f/ sound. It is very consistent.
Tip
F is for fish — and fish starts with /f/!
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.
Save words to study lists, build flashcard decks, and scan your own worksheets and books.