Reception English and phonics: Writing words with two-letter sounds
Part of the Reception English and phonics segmenting and writing words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Writing words with two-letter sounds
Shay has a ship. The word has three sounds: /sh/ /i/ /p/. The first box has two letters, sh.
Chris has a chick. Its sounds are /ch/ /i/ /k/. The last box is ck, two letters, one sound.
Key ideas
- A box can have two letters that make one sound.
- Count the boxes, not the letters.
- Write the letters of each box together.
ship
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.ship
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.sh - i - p
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.sh-i-p
Check. Read the letters back: sh-i-p. They spell ship. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
chick
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.chick
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.ch - i - ck
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.ch-i-ck
Check. Read the letters back: ch-i-ck. They spell chick. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
rain
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.rain
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.r - ai - n
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.r-ai-n
Check. Read the letters back: r-ai-n. They spell rain. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
Watch out
Watch out: rain has four letters but three sounds. Do not write a box for each letter.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask: “How many boxes?” For ship, the answer is three. For chick, it is three too.
Exercise 7B Writing words with two-letter sounds
ship
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.ship
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.sh - i - p
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.sh-i-p
Check. Read the letters back: sh-i-p. They spell ship. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
chick
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.chick
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.ch - i - ck
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.ch-i-ck
Check. Read the letters back: ch-i-ck. They spell chick. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
thumb
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.thumb
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.th - u - m
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.th-u-m
Check. Read the letters back: th-u-m. They spell thumb. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
rain
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.rain
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.r - ai - n
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.r-ai-n
Check. Read the letters back: r-ai-n. They spell rain. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
boat
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.boat
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.b - oa - t
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.b-oa-t
Check. Read the letters back: b-oa-t. They spell boat. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
moon
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.moon
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.m - oo - n
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.m-oo-n
Check. Read the letters back: m-oo-n. They spell moon. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
fish
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.fish
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.f - i - sh
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.f-i-sh
Check. Read the letters back: f-i-sh. They spell fish. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
cow
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.cow
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.c - ow
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.c-ow
Check. Read the letters back: c-ow. They spell cow. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
light
Method. Say light one sound at a time.
- Say the sounds. igh is one sound, in one box.l - igh - t
- Count the boxes. Count each box once.l, igh, t
- Write the answer. 3 boxes.
Check. Count again: l, igh, t. There are 3 boxes. ✓
Watch out. Three letters can make one sound.
boat
Method. Say boat sound by sound.
- Say boat. Find the middle box.b - oa - t
- Look at the middle box. oa is one sound in the middle.middle: oa
- Write the answer. oa
Check. oa is one box in boat. ✓
Watch out. Write o and a together in one box.
rain
Method. Count the sounds, not the letters.
- Count the letters. rain has four letters.r, a, i, n
- Count the sounds. ai is one sound.r, ai, n
- Give your answer. Say how many boxes are needed.Accept any answer that says no: rain has three sounds, so it needs three boxes.
Check. Three sounds, three boxes. ✓
Watch out. Two letters can share one box.
tree
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.tree
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.t - r - ee
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.t-r-ee
Check. Read the letters back: t-r-ee. They spell tree. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
goat
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.goat
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.g - oa - t
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.g-oa-t
Check. Read the letters back: g-oa-t. They spell goat. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
bird
Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.
- Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.bird
- Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.b - ir - d
- Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.b-ir-d
Check. Read the letters back: b-ir-d. They spell bird. ✓
Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.
ship
Method. Count the boxes.
- Look at the sounds. sh is one sound, in one box.sh - i - p
- Count the boxes. Three sounds, three boxes.3 boxes
- Give your answer. Say what Mia should write.Accept any answer that says no: sh is one sound, so ship has three boxes, sh - i - p.
Check. Three boxes: sh, i, p. ✓
Watch out. Two letters can share one box.