swallow
verbTo make food or drink go down your throat into your stomach.
nounA small bird with long pointed wings and a forked tail that flies and catches insects.
verbTo believe or accept something without question.
verbTo take something in so that it disappears or is used up.
verbTo put up with something difficult without complaining.
nounThe amount of something swallowed or the action of swallowing.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: SW Blend
SW blends /s/ and /w/ together, like in 'swim', 'sweet', and 'swing'.
SW appears only at the beginning of words or syllables. Both sounds are clearly heard — the /s/ hiss followed immediately by the /w/ glide.
Tip
SW swoops — /sw/ swim, sweet, swing!
Examples
Phonics Rule: W changes A to /ɑ/
After W, a single A often says /ɑ/ (like 'o' in 'hot') instead of short /æ/ — like in 'want' and 'wash'.
W changes the sound of A: instead of short /æ/ (cat), A after W says /ɑ/: want, wash, watch, swan, squad, squat.
Tip
W changes A — want, wash, watch!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Double Consonant
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: OW (Long O Sound)
OW sometimes says long O, like in 'snow' and 'show'.
The spelling 'ow' can make the long O sound /oʊ/, especially at the end of a word. It can also make the /aʊ/ diphthong sound (like 'cow').
Tip
Snow falls slow — OW says long O!
Examples
What is SnapPhonics?
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