stalks
PronouncedSTAWKS
nounMore than one of the thin green parts that hold up the leaves and flowers of a plant.
nounMore than one of the narrow parts connecting leaves or flowers to the main stem of a plant.
nounMore than one of the narrow parts on some creatures, like crabs, that hold their eyes.
verbTo follow someone quietly and carefully so they do not see or know.
verbTo keep following or trying to contact someone in a way that bothers or scares them.
verbTo walk in a slow and careful way without making noise.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: ST Blend
Sound“st”·/st/
S and T blend together — you hear both sounds! Like in 'stop' and 'fast'.
The blend ST combines /s/ and /t/ spoken quickly together. It can appear at the beginning or end of a word.
Examples
Phonics Rule: AL says “aw”
Sound“aw”·/ɔː/
AL often says the “aw” sound, like in 'ball', 'walk', and 'talk'.
When A is followed by L, it frequently says “aw” (the 'aw' sound): ball, call, walk, talk, salt, false, also. (In other words the A and L are separate, like in 'pal'.)
Tip
AL says aw — ball, walk, talk!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter K
Sound“k”·/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: Plural -S (/s/ sound)
Sound“s”·/s/
After a quiet sound like p, t, k or f, the plural ending says /s/ — like 'cats' and 'cakes'.
Say 'ssss' and then 'zzzz' with a finger on your throat — only 'zzzz' buzzes. When the word already ends in a quiet (unvoiced) sound like p, t, k or f, the plural ending stays quiet too and says /s/. This happens whether the word is spelled -s (cats) or -es (cakes, notes), because in cakes the e is silent and only the s is sounded.
Examples
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