snowflake
nounA tiny piece of frozen water that falls from clouds in winter.
nounSomething that is different and special in its own way.
nounA white flower that grows from a bulb in spring.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: SN Blend
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: OW (Long O Sound)
OW sometimes says long O, like in 'snow' and 'show'.
The spelling 'ow' can make the long O sound /oʊ/, especially at the end of a word. It can also make the /aʊ/ diphthong sound (like 'cow').
Tip
Snow falls slow — OW says long O!
Examples
Phonics Rule: FL Blend
F and L blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'flag' and 'fly'.
The blend FL combines /f/ and /l/ spoken quickly together.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent E with A (Magic E)
In the a-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the A say its name — like in 'cake' and 'make'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the pattern a-consonant-e (like 'cake'), the final E is silent but it makes the A say its long sound /eɪ/. This is called the 'magic E' or 'silent E' rule.
Tip
Magic E makes A say its name!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter K
The letter K makes the /k/ sound, like in 'kite', 'kit', and 'king'.
K always makes the /k/ sound. It is used before E, I, and Y where C would make an /s/ sound instead. K is silent before N at the start of a word (knife, know).
Tip
K is for kite — and kite starts with /k/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent E with A (Magic E)
In the a-consonant-e pattern, the E at the end is silent and makes the A say its name — like in 'cake' and 'make'. Teachers often call this the Magic E.
In the pattern a-consonant-e (like 'cake'), the final E is silent but it makes the A say its long sound /eɪ/. This is called the 'magic E' or 'silent E' rule.
Tip
Magic E makes A say its name!
Examples
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