years
PronouncedYEERZ
nounPeriods of time with about 365 days each, from January 1 to December 31.
nounPeriods of time it takes for the Earth to go all the way around the Sun.
nounLevels or grades in school or college.
nounVery long amounts of time.
Syllables
1 syllable
Letters
Phonics breakdown
Phonics Rule: Letter Y (Consonant)
Sound“y”·/j/
At the start of a word or syllable, Y makes the /j/ sound, like in 'yes', 'yet', and 'yell'.
Y at the beginning of a word acts as a consonant and makes the /j/ sound. In the middle or end of a word, Y acts as a vowel (gym, happy, my). Context determines which role Y plays.
Tip
Y at the start says /j/ — yes, you got it!
Examples
Phonics Rule: EAR says “eer”
Sound“eer”·/ɪər/
EAR usually makes the “eer” sound, like in 'ear', 'hear', and 'near'.
EAR most often says “eer” (the 'ear' sound): ear, hear, near, year, clear, dear, fear.
Tip
Hear with your ear — hear, near, year!
Examples
Phonics Rule: Plural -S (/z/ sound)
Sound“z”·/z/
After a buzzing sound or a vowel, the plural ending says /z/ — like 'dogs' and 'shoes'.
Put a finger on your throat and say 'zzzz' — you feel a buzz. When the word ends in a buzzing (voiced) sound or a vowel, the plural ending buzzes too and says /z/. This happens whether the word is spelled -s (dogs) or -es (shoes, trees), because in shoes the e is silent and only the s is sounded. Most people never notice they are doing this.
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.