stratification
Pronouncedstra-tuh-fih-KAY-shuhn
nounThe way things are arranged in layers, one on top of another.
nounLayers of rock or soil that form over time.
nounDifferent levels of plants growing in a forest, from the ground to the tall trees.
nounThe way a society divides people into different groups based on money and power.
Syllables
5 syllables
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: STR Blend
Sound“str”·/str/
S, T, and R blend together — you hear all three! Like in 'strong' and 'street'.
STR is a three-letter consonant blend. You hear /s/, /t/, and /r/ spoken quickly together. It always appears at the beginning of a word.
Examples
When the letter A appears in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends with a consonant), it usually makes the short A sound “a”. This is one of the first vowel sounds students learn.
Tip
A says “a” like a cat that sat on a mat.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter T
Sound“t”·/t/
The letter T makes the /t/ sound, like in 'top', 'tap', and 'ten'. The tongue tip taps behind the upper teeth.
T is a voiceless alveolar stop. The tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth and releases with a puff of air. Double T (tt) makes the same /t/ sound.
Tip
T taps — touch your tongue to make /t/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Schwa
Sound“uh”·/ə/
In unstressed syllables, vowels often make a lazy 'uh' sound called schwa, like the A in 'about'.
Schwa “uh” is the most common vowel sound in English. Any vowel letter can make the schwa sound when it's in an unstressed syllable. It sounds like a quick, lazy 'uh'.
Tip
Schwa is lazy — any vowel can say 'uh' when it's not stressed!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter F
Sound“f”·/f/
The letter F makes the /f/ sound, like in 'fish', 'fun', and 'fox'. The upper teeth touch the lower lip.
F is a voiceless labiodental fricative — the upper front teeth rest on the lower lip while air flows through to make the /f/ sound. It is very consistent.
Tip
F is for fish — and fish starts with /f/!
Examples
When the letter I appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short I sound “ih”. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.
Tip
I says “ih” like an itch you can't miss.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Hard C
Sound“k”·/k/
C makes the /k/ sound before A, O, U, or a consonant, like in 'cat' and 'cup'.
The letter C makes the hard /k/ sound when followed by A, O, U, or a consonant. This is the default C sound. Examples: cat, cup, coat, cold, crab, class.
Tip
C says K before A, O, U — cat, cup, coat!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Open Syllable A (Long A)
Sound“ay”·/eɪ/
When A is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the A says its name “ay” — like in 'ba-by' and 'pa-per'.
This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves that vowel 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone A at the end of a syllable says “ay” (ba-by, a-pron, lady). The long A sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (cake), or vowel teams (ai in rain, ay in play) — but those are not open syllables.
Tip
Long A says its name — A!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -TION
Sound“shun”·/ʃən/
-TION says “shun”! It turns verbs into nouns, like 'action' and 'nation'.
The suffix -tion is pronounced “shun”. It usually turns a verb into a noun: 'act' → 'action'. The TI makes a “sh” sound, which is unusual for T.
Tip
TION says SHUN — the nation takes action!
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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