temperature
PronouncedTEHM-pruh-cher
nounHow hot or cold something is.
nounA high body heat that shows you are ill.
nounThe general feeling or mood in a place or situation.
Syllables
4 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 E appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short E sound “eh”. This is often confused with short I by new readers.
Tip
E says “eh” like an egg on your head.
Examples
Phonics Rule: MP End Blend
Sound“mp”·/mp/
MP at the end of a syllable blends /m/ and /p/ together, like in 'jump', 'camp', and 'lamp'.
MP is a common end blend. The lips are involved in both sounds — /m/ hums with closed lips, then /p/ pops them open.
Tip
MP pops at the end — jump, camp, stamp!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled ER
Sound“er”·/ɜːr/
When R comes after E, it makes the “er” sound, like in 'her' and 'fern'.
ER makes the same sound as IR and UR — they all say “er”. ER is the most common spelling of this sound, especially at the end of words.
Tip
ER, IR, and UR all sound the same — Bossy R wins again!
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: Suffix -TURE
Sound“cher”·/tʃər/
-TURE sounds like “cher”, like in 'picture' and 'nature'.
The suffix -TURE is pronounced “cher”. Examples: picture, nature, future, creature, adventure, mixture.
Tip
-TURE says cher — picture, nature, future!
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.
