spruce
nounA tall evergreen tree with needle-like leaves that grows in cold places.
verbTo make something neat and tidy.
adjectiveNeat and smart in the way someone looks or dresses.
nounThe wood that comes from a spruce tree.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: SPR Blend
SPR blends three consonants together: /s/, /p/, and /r/, like in 'spring', 'spray', and 'spread'.
SPR is a three-letter onset blend. All three sounds are heard: the /s/ hiss, the /p/ pop, and the /r/ glide — say them quickly together.
Tip
SPR springs — /spr/ like flowers in spring!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent E with U — /uː/ (Magic E)
Same u-consonant-e Magic E pattern, but after L, R, S, or J the U says 'oo' instead of 'yoo' — like 'rule' and 'rude'.
Same u-consonant-e spelling, but when the U follows L, R, S, or J, the Y-glide drops and the sound is pure /uː/. Companion to silent_e_u_e.
Tip
After L, R, S, J — magic E makes U say oo!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Soft C
C says /s/ before E, I, or Y, like in 'city' and 'face'.
When C comes before the letters E, I, or Y, it makes the soft /s/ sound instead of the hard /k/ sound. This is called 'Soft C'.
Tip
C is soft before E, I, Y — the city is nice!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Silent E with U — /uː/ (Magic E)
Same u-consonant-e Magic E pattern, but after L, R, S, or J the U says 'oo' instead of 'yoo' — like 'rule' and 'rude'.
Same u-consonant-e spelling, but when the U follows L, R, S, or J, the Y-glide drops and the sound is pure /uː/. Companion to silent_e_u_e.
Tip
After L, R, S, J — magic E makes U say oo!
Examples
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