snicker

PronouncedSNIH-ker

/ˈsnɪ.kər/verb

nounA short, quiet laugh that someone tries to hold back.
verbTo laugh quietly in a short, broken way.
verbTo make the high neighing sound that a horse makes.

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Syllables

snicker

2 syllables

Letters

Related words (same phonics pattern)

snapped snapphonics isn't doesn't snowboarding snack

Phonics breakdown

Phonics Rule: SN Blend

Sound“sn”·/sn/

S and N blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'snow' and 'snap'.

The blend SN combines /s/ and /n/ spoken quickly together.

Examples

Phonics Rule: Short I

Sound“ih”·/ɪ/

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 “ih”. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.

Tip

I says “ih” like an itch you can't miss.

Examples

Phonics Rule: CK Digraph

Sound“k”·/k/

CK together makes the /k/ sound, like in 'back' and 'kick'.

The digraph 'ck' appears right after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word. If the vowel is short, use CK. If the vowel is long, use just K (like 'make').

Tip

Short vowel? CK comes quick — back, kick, duck!

Examples

Phonics Rule: Suffix -ER

Sound“er”·/ɜːr/

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

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