whiskers
nounLong hairs that grow from the sides of a cat's or other animal's mouth.
nounHair that grows on a man's face, especially on the sides or chin.
nounA very small distance between two things.
Syllables
2 syllables
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: Short I
The letter I makes a short sound, like in 'sit' and 'big'.
When the letter I appears in a closed syllable, it usually makes the short I sound /ɪ/. This is one of the trickiest short vowels because it sounds similar to short E.
Tip
I says /ɪ/ like an itch you can't miss.
Examples
Phonics Rule: SK Blend
SK blends /s/ and /k/ together, like in 'skip', 'skin', and 'sky'.
SK appears at both the beginning and end of syllables. It reliably makes the /sk/ sound in all positions.
Tip
SK skips — /sk/ skip, skin, sky!
Examples
Phonics Rule: R-Controlled ER
When R comes after E, it makes the /ɜːr/ sound, like in 'her' and 'fern'.
ER makes the same sound as IR and UR — they all say /ɜːr/. ER is the most common spelling of this sound, especially at the end of words.
Tip
ER, IR, and UR all sound the same — Bossy R wins again!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Plural -S (/z/ sound)
After voiced sounds, -S says /z/, like in 'dogs' and 'birds'.
After voiced consonants and vowels, the plural -s says /z/. Most people don't notice this — it sounds natural.
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.