twirl
verbTo spin round and round quickly.
nounA fast spinning movement.
verbTo twist something round with your fingers.
nounA small twisted shape of something.
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: TW Blend
TW blends /t/ and /w/ together, like in 'twin', 'twig', and 'twist'.
TW appears at the beginning of words and blends the /t/ stop and /w/ glide smoothly together.
Tip
TW is twice as fun — /tw/ twin, twig, twist!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled IR
When R comes after I, it makes the /ɜːr/ sound, like in 'bird' and 'first'.
IR makes the same /ɜːr/ sound as ER and UR. There's no difference in pronunciation — only in spelling.
Tip
The bird in a shirt says /ɜːr/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Letter L
The letter L makes the /l/ sound, like in 'lamp', 'leg', and 'lip'. The tongue tip touches behind the upper teeth.
L is a voiced lateral approximant — the tongue tip touches the ridge behind the upper teeth while air flows around the sides. Double L (ll) makes the same /l/ sound.
Tip
L is for lamp — light it up with /l/!
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.