toughness
nounThe ability to stay strong and keep going even when things are hard or painful.
nounHow much something can bend or be hit without breaking.
nounSomething that is very hard to do or deal with.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter 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
Phonics Rule: OUGH Pattern
OUGH can make many different sounds — it must be learned word by word.
OUGH is one of the most irregular patterns in English. There is no rule that predicts which sound a given OUGH word uses, so the rule card shows each variant alongside an example word you can tap to hear. Each word must be memorized.
Tip
OUGH is tricky — listen to each variant and learn the words individually.
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -NESS
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?
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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