stubbornness
PronouncedSTUH-bern-nuhs
nounThe quality of refusing to change your mind or do what someone wants.
Syllables
3 syllables
Letters
Related words (same phonics pattern)
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
When the letter U appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short U sound “uh”. This sounds like 'uh'.
Tip
U says “uh” like 'uh-oh, what's up?'
Examples
Phonics Rule: Double Consonant
Sound“one sound”
Two of the same consonant together make just one sound, like the LL in 'ball' or TT in 'butter'.
When two identical consonants appear together, they make just one consonant sound, and the doubling signals a short vowel before it. A common case is the FLOSS rule: a one-syllable word with a short vowel doubles a final f, l, s, or z (off, ball, miss, buzz). Examples: ball, butter, happy, mitten, egg, off.
Tip
Double consonants make one sound — ball, butter, egg!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled OR
Sound“or”·/ɔːr/
When R comes after O, it makes the “or” sound, like in 'for' and 'corn'.
OR makes the “or” sound. Unlike ER, IR, UR which all sound the same, OR has its own distinct sound. The companion rule r_controlled_or_er covers the “er” pronunciation after W (word, work).
Tip
OR — the horse in the corner says “or”!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter N
Sound“n”·/n/
The letter N makes the /n/ sound, like in 'net', 'nap', and 'nut'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
N is a voiced alveolar nasal — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while voice hums through the nose. It is one of the most common consonants in English.
Tip
N hums through the nose — say /n/ and feel the buzz!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -NESS
Sound“niss”·/nɪs/
Adding -NESS turns a describing word into a thing, like 'happy' → 'happiness'.
The suffix -ness turns an adjective into a noun. It means 'the state of being [adjective]'. 'Happy' → 'happiness' = the state of being happy.
Examples
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