A sound in the English language that sounds similar to the short u sound /uh/, but is used during a syllable that does not receive emphasis. For instance, in the words again, another, and away, the schwa sound is located at the onset of the word. Schwa is typically signified

The section of the word that comes after the onset.

Vowels that are trailed by an r that “control” them. The five most common r-controlled vowel combinations are ar, er, ir, or, and ur.

A collection of letters before a (base) word that can alter the word’s meaning. Examples include: un-, de-, in-, non-, or ex-. Prefixes themselves have meanings. For instance, the prefix un- means not.

The initial part of a word before the vowel.

A word that appears to be an actual word in English, but is not. You can use nonsense words to find if the child can apply the “rules” of phonics without giving the child the scaffold of a real word.

A vowel that produces the sound of its letter name. We usually teach long vowels after short vowels because, even though it is much easier to hear the vowel sounds, the spelling patterns are less expectable than short vowel patterns.

Word endings that are placed at the end of base words such as: -s, -es, -ed, or -ing.

Two vowels that are side-by-side in a word and work together to make one sound. Examples include: ai, ee, oa, or, aw.

When you take two letters, place them together (side-by-side) in a word, and only one sound is perceivable. Examples include: ch, gn (less common), sh, th, wh, wr.