Pronounce words on the page correctly

What are alphabetics?

Alphabetics means connecting letters with the sounds they make.

• Example: The letter “M” makes the /mmmmm/ sound).

What are phonemes?

Phonemes are the different sounds in a language that help readers and writers know the difference between one word and its meaning, from another word. Example:

• The word “mat” has 3 different phonemes - /m/ /a/ /t/.
• The word “math” has 3 different phonemes - /m/ /a/ /th/.

Why is phonemic awareness important?

• Phonemic awareness helps readers understand that the letters in a word represent a sound.
• This helps readers to be able to sound out and read unknown words.
• Correctly pronouncing words helps a reader identify the meaning of a word. Do you know the word hors d’oeuvres? What if you found out that it is pronounced “OR DERVS”? Then you might realize that hors d’oeuvres are a kind of appetizer or snack that is served at a party.

Phonemic awareness in English can be very tricky.

• Example: Both “photo” and “rough” have the /f/ sound in them, but neither contain the letter F.

Resources

• This website has a chart with all the phonemes used in the English language: https://www.theschoolrun.com
• This website helps with the understanding of phonemic awareness: https://valrc.org

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