smother
verbTo cover someone or something so thickly that they cannot breathe.
verbTo cover a fire so that it goes out.
verbTo stop something from growing or developing.
verbTo cook something in a closed dish with a covering.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: SM Blend
S and M blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'small' and 'smile'.
The blend SM combines /s/ and /m/ spoken quickly together.
Examples
Phonics Rule: O says /ʌ/
O sometimes says the /ʌ/ sound (like short U), like in 'son', 'love', and 'month'.
In a set of common words, O says /ʌ/ instead of short /ɒ/: son, won, month, mother, brother, love, glove, dove, dozen, oven, money, honey.
Tip
O can say uh — son, love, month!
Examples
Phonics Rule: TH Digraph (Unvoiced)
TH can make a soft sound /θ/, like in 'think' and 'bath'. Just air, no buzz!
The unvoiced TH /θ/ is the quiet, breathy version. Your throat doesn't vibrate. Stick your tongue between your teeth and blow air.
Tip
Unvoiced TH is quiet — think with three teeth!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -ER
Adding -ER can mean 'more' (bigger) or 'a person who' (teacher).
The suffix -er has two main uses: comparative ('big' → 'bigger' = more big) and agent ('teach' → 'teacher' = a person who teaches).
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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