SnapPhonics

stars

PronouncedSTARZ

/ˈstɑrz/noun
  1. nounBright dots of light that shine in the night sky.

  2. nounHuge balls of burning gas far away in space.

  3. nounFamous people who are very good at acting or performing.

  4. nounSmall shapes like ★ or * used to mark or show something.

  5. nounSymbols shown as pictures to tell how good something is.

  6. nounVery talented or famous people who are good at what they do.

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Syllables

stars

1 syllable

Letters

Base word

star

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

st

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

ar

Phonics Rule: R-Controlled AR

Sound“ar”·/ɑːr/

When R comes after A, it changes the sound to “ar”, like in 'car' and 'star'.

When A is followed by R, the R 'bosses' the vowel and changes its sound. Instead of short A or long A, you hear “ar”. R-controlled vowels are sometimes called 'Bossy R'.

Tip

Bossy R takes the car to the farm!

Examples

s

Phonics Rule: Plural -S (/z/ sound)

Sound“z”·/z/

After a buzzing sound or a vowel, the plural ending says /z/ — like 'dogs' and 'shoes'.

Put a finger on your throat and say 'zzzz' — you feel a buzz. When the word ends in a buzzing (voiced) sound or a vowel, the plural ending buzzes too and says /z/. This happens whether the word is spelled -s (dogs) or -es (shoes, trees), because in shoes the e is silent and only the s is sounded. Most people never notice they are doing this.

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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