ShortThe next step after vowel teams
Spelling Patterns
Soft c, soft g, and the consonant + le syllable
Two more spelling rules round out the core phonics patterns needed for confident reading: when c and g change sound, and how words ending in a consonant plus le divide into syllables.
Two more rules to learn
C and g each have two sounds, and the letter that follows decides which one to use. Separately, many words end in a consonant plus le, such as table and little, which forms its own small, predictable syllable.
Soft c and soft g
The letter after c or g decides the sound
cat, cot, cut — hard /k/
ice, city, fancy — soft /s/
gum, go, gap — hard /g/
age, giant, gym — usually soft /dʒ/
Soft g has more exceptions than soft c: get, give, and girl all keep the hard /g/ sound even though they are followed by e or i.
Consonant + le
Table, little, and the final stable syllable
Words such as table, little, and apple end in a consonant followed by le. The e is always silent, and le forms its own syllable, pronounced with a schwa: /əl/. Counting back three letters from the end of the word finds this syllable every time.
Soft C and Soft G
Soft C and Soft G
Two consonants that can say a different sound depending on the letter that follows them.
Consonant + LE
Consonant + LE
A final syllable that is always spelled the same way: a consonant, then le, with a silent e.
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