wander
verbTo walk around without deciding where you are going.
verbTo move along a path that curves and turns.
verbTo stop paying attention or to think about something else.
verbTo move away from the right path or direction.
Syllables
2 syllables
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter W
The letter W makes the /w/ sound, like in 'win', 'wet', and 'web'. The lips round into an O shape.
W is a voiced bilabial approximant — the lips round tightly then open as voice flows. W is sometimes silent (write, wrong) and can act as a vowel in some combinations (aw, ew, ow).
Tip
W rounds your lips — make an O then say /w/!
Examples
Phonics Rule: W changes A to /ɑ/
After W, a single A often says /ɑ/ (like 'o' in 'hot') instead of short /æ/ — like in 'want' and 'wash'.
W changes the sound of A: instead of short /æ/ (cat), A after W says /ɑ/: want, wash, watch, swan, squad, squat.
Tip
W changes A — want, wash, watch!
Examples
Phonics Rule: ND End Blend
ND at the end of a syllable blends /n/ and /d/ together, like in 'hand', 'sand', and 'send'.
ND is a common end blend (coda blend). The nasal /n/ and voiced stop /d/ are both heard. It appears very frequently in English words.
Tip
ND ends with a d-d-d — hand, sand, send!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Suffix -ER
Adding -ER can mean 'more' (bigger) or 'a person who' (teacher).
The suffix -er has two main uses: comparative ('big' → 'bigger' = more big) and agent ('teach' → 'teacher' = a person who teaches).
Examples
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