veil
nounA piece of thin cloth worn over the face or head.
verbTo cover something with a thin cloth.
verbTo hide or conceal something.
nounAnything that hides or blocks a clear view of something.
nounA pretense or false appearance used to hide the truth.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter V
The letter V makes the /v/ sound, like in 'van', 'vet', and 'vine'. Upper teeth touch the lower lip with voice.
V is a voiced labiodental fricative — the upper front teeth rest on the lower lip while air and voice flow through. It is the voiced partner of F. English words rarely end in V; they usually add an E (have, live, give).
Tip
V is for van — /v/ vibrates your lips!
Examples
Phonics Rule: EI says long A
EI sometimes says long A /eɪ/, like in 'vein' and 'rein'.
The vowel team EI can say the long A sound /eɪ/ in a set of words: vein, rein, veil, beige. (EI says long E /iː/ in other words, often after C — see the companion 'EI says long E' rule.)
Tip
EI can say long A — vein, rein, veil!
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.