taoist
PronouncedDOW-ihst
Someone who follows Taoism, an old religion from China that teaches living in balance with nature.
Syllables
3 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
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
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: OI Diphthong
Sound“oy”·/ɔɪ/
OI makes the “oy” sound in the middle of a word, like in 'oil' and 'coin'.
A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one sound to another. OI glides from “aw” to “ih”. Use OI in the middle of a word and OY at the end.
Tip
OI in the middle — coin and point!
Examples
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
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