The Phonics Lab

Level 1 · Article 4B of 75 Short Vowels vs Long Vowels! 🆚 Same 5 letters — but two completely different sounds each! This is the most important vowel lesson in phonics! The Secret 🔑 🤫 The Rule Short vowels say their basic sound — /a/ like ant. Long vowels say their own name — /ay/ like ape. The same letter A makes both sounds — and knowing which one to use is the key to reading English! Short vs Long — what is the difference? 🆚 🔴 Short Vowel Says its basic sound — quick and sharp! Like /a/ in cat 🔵 Long Vowel Says its own name — stretched out! Like /ay/ in cake All 5 vowels — short AND long! 🎨 👆 Tap each word to hear the difference! A The two sounds of A Short A 🔴 cat /a/ — quick! Long A 🔵 cake /ay/ — its name! ...

Level 2 · Article 7 of 75 The CK Ending! 🦆 Why is it duck and not duk? Why back and not bak? The CK rule explains it all! The Secret 🔑 🤫 The Rule Use CK at the end of a word when there is a short vowel right before the /k/ sound — like duck, back, sick, lock, luck. If the vowel is long or there is another consonant before it — just use K alone! Quick reminder — the 5 short vowels! 🔴 👆 Tap each vowel to hear its SHORT sound! A /a/ — ant E /e/ — egg I /i/ — itch O /o/ — odd U /u/ — up CK word families — one for each vowel! 🎨 👆 Tap any word to hear it! A short A + CK back rack pack jack E short E + CK neck deck peck beck I short I + CK sick kick pick ...

Level 2 · Article 6 of 75 The H Brothers! 👬 SH, CH, TH, WH, PH — when H teams up with another letter, something magical happens! The Secret 🔑 🤫 The Rule When two letters join together to make one brand new sound — that is called a digraph! The H Brothers are the most common digraphs in English. Two letters, one sound, always together! What is a digraph? 🔬 Two letters → One NEW sound! S + H → SH! S says /s/ and H says /h/ — but together SH says /sh/ like in ship! A completely new sound that neither letter makes alone! Meet the 5 H Brothers! 🎨 👆 Tap any card to hear the sound! SH /sh/ ship CH /ch/ chin TH /th/ this WH /w/ whip PH /f/ phone TH is special — it has TWO sounds! 🎭 TH can be ...

Level 1 · Article 5 of 75 The C vs K Rule! 🥊 They sound the same — but English uses each one in a very different situation. Here is the rule! The Secret 🔑 🤫 The Rule Use C before A, O, U and consonants — like cat, cot, cup, crab. Use K before E, I — like kettle, king, kit. Both make the exact same /k/ sound — only the spelling changes! C vs K — side by side 🥊 C Use before: A O U consonants VS K Use before: E I See the rule in action! 👀 👆 Tap each word to hear it! C — before A cat meow! K — before I kit a set of things C — before O cot baby bed! K — before E ken to know! C — before U cup drink from it! K — b...

Level 1 · Article 4 of 75 The Final Five! 🎯 C, K, E, U and R — learn these and you know EVERY basic letter sound in English! The Secret 🔑 🤫 The Rule After today, you know all 26 letters and their basic sounds. But here is the big secret — E, U and the vowels are the most important letters in every word. Every single English word needs at least one vowel! Your 5 New Sounds 🎨 👆 Tap any card to hear the first sound of the word! C /k/ cat K /k/ kit E /e/ egg U /u/ up R /rrr/ run Meet ALL 5 Vowels! 🌟 🌟 Every English word NEEDS one of these 5 special letters! A ant E egg I itch O odd U up Words you can ALREADY read! 🌟 👆 Tap any ...

Level 1 · Article 3 of 75 Blending 101! 🔊 You know the sounds. Now learn the SUPERPOWER — push them together and read real words! The Secret 🔑 🤫 The Rule Blending means pushing sounds together without stopping — say each sound, then slide them into one word. /s/… /a/… /t/… say them faster and faster until you hear sat! That is blending! The Blending Machine ⚙️ 👆 Tap each sound box — then tap the word to hear it all blended! Watch the sounds become a word! /s/ + /a/ + /t/ = sat! /p/ + /i/ + /n/ = pin! /h/ + /i/ + /t/ = hit! Step by step — try these! 👣 👆 Tap each row to hear the whole word blended slowly! 1 fan /f/ + /a/ + /n/ TAP TO HEAR ▶ 2 lip /l/ + /i/ + /...