Phonetic Program by Sir Aalumgir Shah (M.

A TEFL)
Contact#03002604724

SPELLING RULES
I. DEFINITONS
1. Consonants:
A. Single consonant: All of the alphabet except a, e, i, o, u.
B. Consonant diagraphs: two consonants which together make one consonant sound
1. Basic diagraphs: ch, sh, th, wh, ng, nk
2. Other diagraphs: ck, ph, gh, wr, kn, gn, mn, mb
C. Blends: two or three consonants said together, each keeping its own sound: br,
cr, dr, fr, gr, pr, tr, scr, bl, cl, fl, gl, pl, sc, sk, sm, sn, sp,st, sw, tw
2. Vowels:
A. Single vowels: a, e, i, o, u, sometimes y
B. Vowel diagraphs: a single vowel is always long, the second silent: ai, ay, ea,
ee, ei, ie, oa, oe, oo, ou, ow, ue, ui
3. Syllable: a word or part of a word that contains one vowel sound
4. Suffix: an ending added onto a root word: er, ed, ing, est

II. ALPHABET PRONUNTIATION

The most useful phonics rules you should know:
1. Every syllable in every word must contain a vowel. The vowels are: a, e, i, o, u,
and y (although y is a consonant when at the beginning of a word).
2. When "c" is followed by "e, i, or y," it usually has the soft sound of "s."
Example: city.
3. When "g" is followed by "e, i, or y," it usually has the soft sound of "j."
Example: gem.
4. A consonant digraph is two or more consonants that are grouped together and
represent a single sound. Here are consonant digraphs you should know: wh (what),
sh (shout), wr (write), kn (know), th (that), ch (watch), ph (laugh), tch (watch), gh
(laugh), ng (ring).
5. When a syllable ends in a consonant and has only one vowel, that vowel is short.
Examples: tap, bed, wish, lock, bug.
6. When a syllable ends in a silent "e," the vowel that comes before the silent "e" is
long. Examples: take, gene, bite, hope, fuse.
7. When a syllable has two vowels together, the first vowel is usually long and the
second vowel is silent. Example: stain.

Composed and prescribed by: Sir Aalumgir Shah

Phonetic Program by Sir Aalumgir Shah (M.A TEFL)

Contact#03002604724
8. When a syllable ends in a vowel and is the only vowel, that vowel is usually
long. Examples: ba/ker, be/come, bi/sect, go/ing, fu/ture, my/self.
9. When a vowel is followed by "r" in the same syllable, the vowel is neither long
nor short. Examples: charm, term, shirt, corn, surf.

Phonetic Rules for Spelling

1. Vowel Rule 1: When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable and the vowel
comes between two consonants, the vowel is usually short.
ex. back, fed, gun, cut, fig
2. Vowel Rule 2: When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable and the vowel
comes at the beginning of the word, the vowel is usually short.
ex: egg, off, it, add, us
3. Vowel Rule 3: When a syllable has 2 vowels together, the first vowel is usually long
and the second is silent. Eg: "rain, meat, coat, res/cue, day,". NOTE: Diphthongs don't
follow this rule
ex: maid, hear, cute, coat, tied
4. Vowel Rule 4: When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable and the vowel
comes at the end, the vowel is usually long.
ex: why, no, he
5. Vowel Rule 5: When a is followed by u, w, r, ll, and lt in the same syllable, it often
has the third sound of a, the Italian a.
ex: haul, pause, scar, fall, pawn, fault
6. Vowel Rule 6: When Y comes at the end of a two or more syllable word, Y has the
sound of long e if the Y syllable is unaccented.
ex: funny, penny, soapy, flaky, tidy
7. Vowel Rule 7: When Y comes at the end of a two or more syllable word, Y has the
sound of long i if the Y syllable is accented.
ex: defy, comply, identify, supply, multiply
8. Vowel Rule 8: When words end with the suffix -ing, -ed, or -er, the first vowel is
usually short if it comes between two consonants.
ex: skinned, helper, canned, robber, shunned

Composed and prescribed by: Sir Aalumgir Shah

Phonetic Program by Sir Aalumgir Shah (M.A TEFL)

Contact#03002604724
9. Vowel Rule 9: When words end with the suffix -ing, -ed, or -er, the first vowel is
usually long if it comes before a single consonant.
ex: tamer, noted, user, zoning, cubed,

The Long Vowel Rule (1)

Long Vowel Rule (1): When a word has two vowel, usually the first vowel says its
name and the second vowel is silent.
1. Long Vowel a Words
mail

gain

bake

ape

paint

gray

nail

main

cake

tape

day

play

pail

pain

lake

ate

hay

pray

rail

rain

make

hate

lay

stay

sail

train

rake

late

may

stray

tail

mane

take

date

pay

tray

came

vane

pale

gate

say

fade

game

wave

sale

bait

way

made

name

save

whale

wait

clay

grade

2. Long Vowel e words

sea

seal

fear

beef

wheat

sheep

tea

beam

hear

meek

seem

sleep

reach

team

near

seek

seen

deer

teach

bean

bee

feel

teen

feet

beak

mean

tree

heal

green

meet

weak

heap

free

peel

deep

beet

heal

leap

feed

hear

peep

greet

meal

ear

need

meat

weep

key

real

dear

weed

seat

creep

three

3. Long Vowel i words

hide

bike

dime

vine

pie

dive

ride

like

lime

wipe

tie

five

side

hike

time

pipe

fire

hive

tide

file

chime

ripe

hire

cry

wide

mile

dine

rise

tire

dry

Composed and prescribed by: Sir Aalumgir Shah

Phonetic Program by Sir Aalumgir Shah (M.A TEFL)

Contact#03002604724
bridge

pile

fine

wise

wire

fly

glide

tile

line

size

bite

fry

pride

smile

mine

prize

kite

try

slide

while

pine

die

white

sky

4. Long vowel o words

road

coat

hole

rope

stove

grow

load

goat

pole

nose

bow

know

toad

hoe

stole

rose

low

show

oak

toe

home

close

mow

slow

soak

rode

bone

chose

row

snow

foam

joke

cone

hose

tow

throw

roam

poke

tone

note

blow

boast

soap

spoke

stone

vote

crow

roast

boat

smoke

hope

dove

flow

Toast

5. Long vowel u words

suite

June

true

new

chew

flew

fruit

tune

use

pew

drew

slew

juice

prune

fuse

crew

grew

stew

cute

blue

dew

knew

screw

mew

flute

clue

few

mule

threw

cube

dune

glue

hew

rule

blew

tube

Long Vowel Rule (2): If a word has one vowel and it comes at the end of
the word, that word usually has a long vowel sound.
6. Long vowel words that follow Rule 2
he

we

why

lo

yo-yo

Exceptions:

me

by

go

no

be

do

she

my

so

so

hi

to

Long Vowel Rule (3): The vowel i and o have the long vowel sound when
followed by two or more consonants usually has a long vowel sound.

7. Long vowel words that follow Rule 2

child

mind

light

old

colt

most

bind

blind

night

cold

colt

post

Composed and prescribed by: Sir Aalumgir Shah

Phonetic Program by Sir Aalumgir Shah (M.A TEFL)

Contact#03002604724
find

grind

right

fold

jolt

roll

hind

high

bright

hold

volt

toll

kind

fight

flight

told

both

stroll

Vowel Rule No.4

When a word ends in ck, it usually has the short vowel sound.
Short vowel words that end in ck
black

neck

sock

duck

quack

sick

jack

check

block

truck

snack

brick

pack

speck

clock

cluck

track

chick

sack

dock

flock

pluck

kick

quick

tack

lock

knock

stuck

lick

stick

black

rock

stuck

truck

pick

trick

Vowel Rule No.5

When there is only one vowel in a word or syllable and the vowel comes between two
consonants, the vowel is usually short.
Examples: back, fed, gun, cut, fig, put,

Composed and prescribed by: Sir Aalumgir Shah