SnapPhonics

steep

STEEP/ˈstiːp/adjective
  1. adjectiveGoing up or down at a very sharp angle, almost straight up and down.

  2. verbTo soak something in hot water to get flavour from it, like when you make tea.

  3. verbTo soak or put something fully into liquid.

  4. adjectiveCosting a lot of money.

  5. nounA very sloping side of a hill or mountain.

Save to your word list — create a free account

Syllables

steep

1 syllable

Letters

Word forms:

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

st

Phonics Rule: ST Blend

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

ee

Phonics Rule: EE Vowel Team

When two E's are together, they say long E, like in 'tree' and 'see'.

The vowel team 'ee' almost always makes the long E sound /iː/. This is one of the most reliable vowel teams in English.

Tip

Two E's together always agree — they say /iː/!

Examples

p

Phonics Rule: Letter P

The letter P makes the /p/ sound, like in 'pan', 'pig', and 'pot'. Both lips press together then pop open.

P is a voiceless bilabial stop — both lips press together and release with a puff of air but no voice. It pairs with B (which is the voiced version of the same mouth position).

Tip

P pops open — press your lips and let it POP!

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.

Save words to study lists, build flashcard decks, and scan your own worksheets and books.