SnapPhonics

tired

PronouncedTEYE-erd

/ˈtaɪ.ərd/adjective

Feeling sleepy or needing rest because you have used a lot of energy.

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Syllables

tired

2 syllables

Letters

Base word

tire

Word forms:

Related words (same phonics pattern)

Phonics breakdown

t

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

Sound“eye”·/aɪ/

When I is the last letter of a syllable, the syllable is open and the I says its name “eye” — like in 'hi' and 'fi-nal'.

This is the open-syllable pattern: a syllable that ends in a vowel leaves it 'open', so it says its long name. Here, a lone I at the end of a syllable says “eye” (hi, si-lent). The I also says its long name before two consonants in the 'ind' and 'ild' families (find, kind, child, mild). The long I sound is also spelled other ways, each its own rule — silent E (bike) or igh (night) — but those are not open syllables.

Tip

Long I says its name — I!

Examples

r

Phonics Rule: Letter R

Sound“r”·/r/

The letter R makes the /r/ sound, like in 'run', 'red', and 'rope'. The tongue curls back slightly.

R is a voiced approximant. The tongue curls back or bunches up without touching the roof of the mouth. When R follows a vowel it changes that vowel's sound (r-controlled vowels).

Tip

R is for run — /r/ with a curl of the tongue!

Examples

ed

Phonics Rule: Suffix -ED (/d/ sound)

Sound“d”·/d/

After voiced sounds like /b/, /g/, /n/, -ED says /d/, like in 'played' and 'named'.

After voiced consonants and vowels, -ed says /d/. The E is silent.

Tip

After a buzzy sound, -ED says /d/!

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.

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