Overhead #1 ~ Lesson 1
Macron
(Diacritical Mark)
Placed over a vowel
The vowel sound will be the same as the vowel name.
a → ace → /ā/
Y is most often used as a vowel
e → ego → /ē/
Y → fly → /ī/→ in a one syllable word
i → ion, ice → /ī/
Y → crazy → /ē/→ in a two syllable word
o → open → /ō/
u → ūnit → /ū/
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Overhead #2 ~ Lesson 1
Breve
(Diacritical Mark)
Placed over a vowel.
This mark changes the vowel sound.
The vowel will shorten its name.
a → ask → /ă/
e → element → /ĕ/
i → inch → / ǐ/
o → on → /ǒ/
u → under → /ǔ/
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Overhead #3 ~ Lesson 1
Schwa (uh)
(Diacritical Mark)
ә
When all else fails – schwa!
This mark tells you that the vowel sound is neither long nor short.
ә
ә
a → ago → /a/, /uh·gō/
u → insulate → /u/ → /ǐn·sul·āte/
ә
alarm → /a/ → /uh·lärm/
ә
e → electric → /e/ → /uh·lĕc·trǐc/
ә
ә
i → oxidize → /i/ → /ǒx·i·dīz/
ә
ә
ә
o → connect → /o/ → / con·nĕct/
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Overhead #4 ~ Lesson 1
Sound Slashes
//
Diacritical markings are placed between the slashes
to unlock the code when unsure of pronunciation.
ә
a = /ă/, /ā/, /a/
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Overhead #5 ~ Lesson 1
Confusing Consonants
Cc
c = /k/ when followed by a, o, or u
c→
cast → /k/
cold → /k/
culture → /k/
/kăst/
/kōld/
/kǔl·tūr/
c = /s/ when followed by e, i, or y
c → cent → /s/
/sĕnt/
cite → /s/
/sīt/
cycle → /s/
/si·kle/
c = /s/ and /k/
calculator →
circus →
cyclops →
/căl·cū·lā·tör/
/sir·kǔs/
/si·klǒps/
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Overhead #6 ~ Lesson 1
Confusing Consonants
Gg
g = /g/ when followed by a, o, u
gasket → /g/ → /găs·kĕt/
go
→ /g/ → /gō/
gum → /g/ → /gūm/
g = /j/ when followed by e, i, or y
gem → /j/ → /jĕm
giant → /j/ → /jī·ănt/
gym → /j/ → /jǐm/
Some exceptions: get, give, girth, gizmo, gear
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Overhead #7 ~ Lesson 1
Confusing Consonants
Ss
S = /s/
s → /sink/ → /s/ → /sǐnk/
save → /s/ → /sāv/
s = /z/
1. Usually at the end of a one syllable word.
has → /z/ → /hăz/
2.
Sometimes when used as a suffix.
Rug+s → rugs → /z/ → /rǔgz/
3.
When placed between i and e (ise)
surprise → /z/ → /sәr·prīz/
televise → /z/ → /tĕl·ә·vīz/
advise → /z/ → /ăd·vīz/
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Overhead #8 ~ Lesson 1
Confusing Consonants
Qq
q is followed by u
u is not a vowel when attached to q
qu → /kw/
quit → /kwǐt/
quiet → /kwī·ĕt/
request → /rē·kwĕst/
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Overhead #9 ~ Lesson 1
Consonant Digraphs
Various consonants when placed together produce their own sound.
These consonants are never separated.
ch → champ → /ch/ → /chămp/
ch → chorus → /k/ → /kôr·ǔs/
ch → machine → /sh/ → /mә·shēn/
ck → lock → /k/ → /lǒk/
sh → shark → /sh/ → /shärk/
th → think → /thǐnk/
wh → whale → /hw/ → /hwā/
Exceptions:
who → /hü/
whole → /hō/
whom → /hüm/
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Overhead #10 ~ Lesson 1
Shy Sounds
These sounds consist of various combinations of consonants and vowels. At times
the vowels are quiet and at times the consonants are quiet. (shy)
ci → /sh/ → electrician → /ē·lĕc·trǐsh·әn/
sion → /shǔn/ → television
/tĕl·ә·vǐ·shǔn/
dge → /j/ → badge → /băj/
gh → /g/ → ghost → /gōst/
gn → /n/ → gnarl → /nårl/
kn → /n/ knot → /nǒt/
mb → /m/ → limb → /lǐm/
mn → /m/ → column → /cǒl·әm/
ph → /f/ → photo → /fō·tō/
que → /k/ → technique, antique
/tĕk·nēk/, /ăn·tēk/
rh → /r/ → rhino /rī·nō/
/zhǔn/ → fusion → /fū·zhǔn/
tch → /ch/ → catch → /căch/
ti → /sh/ → partial → /pär·shәl/
tion → /shǔn/ → traction → /trăc·shǔn/
ture → /chәr/ → fixture → /fǐx·chәr/
wr → /r/ → wrap → /răp/
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Overhead #11 ~ Lesson 1
Blends
Two or more consonants together. Each consonant will keep its own sound.
bl
cl
fl
gl
pl
sl
br
cr
dr
fr
pr
tr
sc
sk
sl
sm
sn
sp
st
sw
tw
*squ
spl
scr
spr
str
shr
thr
chr
nch
*qu is considered a consonant. It has one sound /kw/
nd
nt
mp
ct
sk
ft
lp
lt
pt
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Overhead #1 ~ Lesson 2
Syllables
A syllable is one push of breath as you say a word. Words consist of one
or more syllables.
cat → one push of breath → one syllable
catnip → two pushed of breath → two syllables
caterpillar → 4 pushes of breath → four syllables
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Overhead #2 ~ Lesson 2
6 Types of Syllables
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
closed
open
vowel-consonant-e (vce)
r-ruled
attached vowels
consonant-le
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Overhead #3 ~ Lesson 2
Closed Syllable
1. Contains only one vowel
2. The vowel is closed-in or blocked by one
or more consonants
3. The vowel sound is usually short and
marked with a breve.
pen → pĕn → one syllable
pencil → pĕn·cǐl → two syllables
magnet → măg·nĕt → two syllables
magnetics → măg·nĕt·ǐcs → three syllables
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Overhead #4 ~ Lesson 2
Closed Syllable Exceptions
ild → mīld → /ī/
ind → grīnd → /ī/
old → mōld → /ō/
olt → bōlt → /ō/
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Overhead #5 ~ Lesson 2
Open Syllable
1. Contains only one vowel
2. The vowel is not closed-in or blocked by
a consonant or another vowel.
3. The vowel sound is usually long and
marked with a macron.
4. Y is a vowel in this type of syllable.
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Overhead #6 ~ Lesson 2
Open Syllable
go → gō → one open syllable, the vowel sound is long.
pry → prī → one open syllable, Y at the end of a one syllable word
will usually make the long sound of i.
my, fry, dry, by
logo → lō·gō → two open syllables, the vowel sounds are long.
baby → bā·bē → two open syllables, the vowel sounds are long.
Y at the end of a word with more than one syllable will
usually make the long sound of e.
gravy, lady, navy
Exception
ә
ә
schwa → Alaska → A·lăs·ka
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Overhead #7 ~ Lesson 2
Vowel-Consonant-e Syllables
1.
At the end of a syllable
2.
The vowel sound is usually long
3.
The e is silent
(Please note: You must draw a slash (\) through the letter e for the silent sound.)
fuse → fūse → /fūs/
dome → dōme → /dōm/
drive → drīve → /drīv/
quite → quīte → /quīt/
Exceptions
ive → gǐve → /gǐv/
lǐve → /lǐv/
ĕxpĕnsǐve → /ĕx·pĕn·sǐv/
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Overhead #1 ~ Lesson 3
Consonant –le Syllable
1.
2.
3.
Usually found in words with more than one syllable.
The vowel sound before the consonant may be long or short.
The e at the end of –le is silent.
(Please note: You must draw a slash (\) through the letter e for the silent sound.)
cable → cā·ble → /cā·bl/
able → ā·ble → /ā·bl/
puzzle → pǔz·zle → /pǔz·zl/
nozzle → nǒz·zle → /nǒz·zl/
Exception
aisle → /īl/
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Overhead #2 ~ Lesson 3
R-ruled Syllable
1.
2.
3.
The r follows the vowel.
The r determines the sound of the vowel.
The vowel sound is neither long nor short.
ar → car
warm
er → germ
ir → stir
or → cord, force
worth, worm
ur → curve
er, ir, and ur all make the same sound.
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Overhead #3 ~ Lesson 3
Attached Vowel Syllables
1. Two vowels connected to each other.
2. W is considered a vowel when attached immediately after a vowel.
a
e
i
ai → maintain
ay → clay
aw → draw
ea → /ē/ → beam, grease
/ĕ/ → meant, bread
/ā/ → break, great
ie → /ī/ → pie, tie
/ē/ → chief, field
au → launch
ee → /ē/ → teeth, sleep
eu → /ū/ → feud
ew → /ū/ → threw, few
ey → /ā/ → they, grey
/ē/ → key
u
o
oa → /ō/ → loan, throat
oe → /ō/ → doe, Joe
oi → hoist, coil
oo → food, zoom
wood, foot
ou → sound, out, could,
would, soup
oy → joy
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ui → cruise, bruise
ue → glue, Tuesday,
argue, rescue
Overhead #1 ~ Lesson 4
Vowel-Consonant-Vowel
VCV
1. Divide the word before the consonant.
2. The vowel sound in the first syllable will be long.
human → hū·măn
vcv
clover → clō·ver
cvc
Exception:
If the word is unfamiliar, divide after the consonant.
The vowel sound will usually be short.
comet → cō·mĕt – does not make sense.
vce
Divide the word after the m → cǒmĕt
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Overhead #2 ~ Lesson 4
Vowel-Consonant-Consonant-Vowel
VCCV
1. Divide the word between the two consonants.
2. Digraphs will stay together.
3. qu will stay together.
4. Blends will usually stay with the second syllable unless found in a compound word or at
the beginning of the first syllable.
diffuse → dǐf·fūse
vccv
signal → sǐg·năl
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Overhead #3 ~ Lesson 4
Consonant-le
Divide these words before the consonant.
stable → stā·ble
bugle → bū·gle
mumble → mǔm·ble
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Overhead #4 ~ Lesson 4
Compound Words
Divide between the smaller words.
backpack → back·pack
railroad → rail·road
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Overhead #5 ~ Lesson 4
Process of Syllable Division
1. Remove or divide prefixes and suffixes
2. Look for a pattern
a. compound words
b. c-le
c. cvc
d. cvvc
e. digraphs/blends
f. syllable types
3. Divide words → Every syllable must contain at least one
vowel.
4. Insert vowel sounds according to syllable type.
5. If the vowel sounds do not make sense – repeat Step 3.
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Overhead #6 ~ Lesson 4
Examples
rerun → re·run – Take away the prefix re from the word run.
waited → wait·ed – Take away the suffix ed from the word wait.
airplanes → airplane·s – Take away the suffix s.
air·planes – Divide between the smaller words.
Accelerate →
Patterns:
cc – double consonant (vccv)
er – r-ruled syllable
ate – consonant-vowel-e syllable
Divide:
ăc·cĕl·er·āte
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Overhead #7 ~ Lesson 4
Examples
Patterns:
loc - cvc
ive – vce (exception to the rule, the i is short)
Divide:
lǒc·ǒm·ǒt·ǐve – This does not make sense.
lō·cō·mǒt·ǐve – This does not make sense.
lō·cō·mō·tǐve – 3 open syllables and one vce syllable.
Each syllable is one push of breath.
The word makes sense with proper vowel
placement.
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