whirl
verbTo spin or turn around very fast.
verbTo make something spin or turn around very fast.
verbTo feel like everything is spinning around you.
nounA fast spinning movement.
nounA lot of activity or events happening very quickly one after another.
nounA quick try at something to see if it works.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: WH Digraph
WH at the start of a word usually sounds like /w/, like in 'when' and 'what'.
In most American English, 'wh' sounds the same as 'w'. It appears at the beginning of question words (who, what, when, where, why) and other common words.
Tip
WH asks questions — when, what, where, why!
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?
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