sink
nounA basin with a faucet where you wash your hands and face.
verbTo go down below the surface of water or another liquid.
verbTo push something down into something else.
verbTo make a hole or well by digging.
verbTo hit a ball into a pocket or hole in a game.
verbTo feel sad or worried suddenly.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter S
The letter S usually makes the /s/ sound, like in 'sun', 'sit', and 'sock'. Air hisses through a small gap.
S is a voiceless alveolar fricative when it makes the /s/ sound. At the end of many words it can also make a /z/ sound (as in 'dogs' or 'has'). At the start of a word it is always /s/.
Tip
S hisses like a snake — sssssun!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Short I
The letter I makes a short sound, like in 'sit' and 'big'.
When the letter I appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short I sound /ɪ/. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.
Tip
I says /ɪ/ like an itch you can't miss.
Examples
Phonics Rule: NK End Blend
NK at the end of a syllable makes the /ŋk/ sound, like in 'sink', 'bank', and 'drink'.
NK blends the nasal /ŋ/ (like in 'sing') with /k/. The N in NK is not a regular /n/ — it shifts to /ŋ/ because of the K that follows.
Tip
NK ends with a clunk — sink, bank, drink!
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.
