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Contents
Syllables
Phonemes

Syllables
Syllables are the number of beats in a word.
How many beats are there in the word remember ?
How many syllables are there in the following words?
underneath
Internet dangerous ridiculous
3
4
3
3 sincerely
Australia physical scraped
3
1
3
4
3
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Spelling using syllables
Thinking about the syllables in a word can help you to spell the word.
In English, syllables normally have a vowel or the letter 'y' in them: r e -m e m-b e r b i -c y -cl e d e -v e lo p-m e nt m a g-n i -f y
Some syllables are used in lots of words: ly – happi ly slow ly angri ly tion – sta tion ela tion educa tion radia tion
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Phonemes
Phonemes are the smallest unit of sound in a word.
Do you know how many phonemes there are in English?
There are approximately 44 phonemes in English!
How many phonemes are in each of the words below?
dog desk diary
3
4
5
© Boardworks Ltd 2006 7 of 11

Phonemes
Some phonemes are represented by one letter; others by two or three letters.
How many phonemes are in each of the words below?
dish sheep chat think
3
4
3
3
© Boardworks Ltd 2006 8 of 11

Spelling using phonemes
Sounding out the phonemes can often help you spell a word.
However, some phonemes can be spelt in more than one way.
Why do you think the following words are tricky to spell?
gnat judge science knife giant city knight
The n phoneme can be spelt n , kn or gn .
The j phoneme is created by the letters j , dge and g .
The s phoneme can be made by s , sc , se , s or ce .
© Boardworks Ltd 2006 9 of 11

Spelling using phonemes
What sound do these words share? mission and chef They both use the sh phoneme.
sweet , heat , thief and these
They all have a long e sound (the phoneme ee ).
tried and light
They both have a long i sound (the phoneme ie ).
much and watch They both use the ch phoneme.
Can you think of any other words which use each phoneme?
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Syllables and phonemes quiz
11 of 11 © Boardworks Ltd 2006