Reception English and phonics: Blending words with two-letter sounds
Part of the Reception English and phonics blending words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Blending words with two-letter sounds
Shay has a ship. Blend its sounds: /sh/ /i/ /p/. The letters sh make one sound, so you say it as one.
Chris has a chick. Blend /ch/ /i/ /k/. The letters ck at the end make one sound too.
Key ideas
- A box can have two letters that make one sound, such as sh or ch.
- Blend the sounds in order, from left to right.
- Count the boxes, not the letters.
chick
van
ship
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.sh - i - p
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./sh/ /i/ /p/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./sh/ /i/ /p/ = ship
Check. Check the picture of a ship. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
zip
jug
ring
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.r - i - ng
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./r/ /i/ /ng/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./r/ /i/ /ng/ = ring
Check. Check the picture of a ring. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
web
thumb
king
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.th - u - m
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./th/ /u/ /m/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./th/ /u/ /m/ = thumb
Check. Check the picture of a thumb. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
Watch out
Watch out: sh is one sound. Do not read it as /s/ then /h/.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “How many boxes?” Count boxes, not letters. Ship has three boxes.
Exercise 6B Blending with two-letter sounds
ship
chick
van
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.sh - i - p
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./sh/ /i/ /p/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./sh/ /i/ /p/ = ship
Check. Check the picture of a ship. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
thumb
web
chick
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.ch - i - ck
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./ch/ /i/ /k/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./ch/ /i/ /k/ = chick
Check. Check the picture of a chick. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
jug
thumb
ring
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.th - u - m
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./th/ /u/ /m/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./th/ /u/ /m/ = thumb
Check. Check the picture of a thumb. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
ring
bell
hen
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.r - i - ng
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./r/ /i/ /ng/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./r/ /i/ /ng/ = ring
Check. Check the picture of a ring. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
king
ship
fish
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.f - i - sh
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./f/ /i/ /sh/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./f/ /i/ /sh/ = fish
Check. Check the picture of a fish. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.sh - o - p
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./sh/ /o/ /p/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./sh/ /o/ /p/ = shop
Check. Check the picture of a shop. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.ch - i - p
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./ch/ /i/ /p/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./ch/ /i/ /p/ = chip
Check. Check the picture of a chip. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.th - i - n
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./th/ /i/ /n/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./th/ /i/ /n/ = thin
Check. Check the picture of a thin. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
king
ring
ship
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.k - i - ng
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./k/ /i/ /ng/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./k/ /i/ /ng/ = king
Check. Check the picture of a king. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
zip
ship
chick
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.z - i - p
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./z/ /i/ /p/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./z/ /i/ /p/ = zip
Check. Check the picture of a zip. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
ship
Method. Count the sounds, not the letters.
- Read the letters in ship. There are four letters.s, h, i, p
- Group the letters that make one sound. sh is one sound.sh - i - p
- Give your answer. Say how many sounds there are.Accept any answer that says no: sh is one sound, so ship has three sounds, sh - i - p.
Check. Three sounds: sh, i, p. ✓
Watch out. Two letters can make one sound.
chick
ship
Method. Look at the first two letters of each word.
- Look at chick. The first sound is /ch/.chick: /ch/
- Look at ship. The first sound is /sh/.ship: /sh/
- Give your answer. Say whether the first sounds match.Accept any answer that says no: chick starts with ch, and ship starts with sh.
Check. /ch/ and /sh/ are different sounds. ✓
Watch out. Read the first two letters of each word.
jug
web
van
Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.
- Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.j - u - g
- Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word./j/ /u/ /g/
- Write the word. The blended sounds make the word./j/ /u/ /g/ = jug
Check. Check the picture of a jug. The picture matches the word. ✓
Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.
Method. Think of a word that starts with sh.
- Look at the pictures. ship starts with sh.ship
- Check the first sound. sh is one sound.sh
- Write the answer. Accept any word that starts with sh, such as ship or shop.
Check. The first sound is /sh/. ✓
Watch out. Write s and h together at the start.