thinness
PronouncedTHIHN-nihs
When something is very narrow or not thick at all.
“The thinness of the paper made it easy to tear.”
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: TH Digraph (Unvoiced)
Sound“th”·/θ/
TH can make a soft sound “th”, like in 'think' and 'bath'. Just air, no buzz!
The unvoiced TH “th” is the quiet, breathy version. Your throat doesn't vibrate. Stick your tongue between your teeth and blow air.
Tip
Unvoiced TH is quiet — think with three teeth!
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: 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
What is SnapPhonics?
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