Phonics And Early Reading: Reading And Language Arts Terms Explained

Plain-language definitions of every phonics and early reading term your child meets in school, each with kid-friendly explanations, worked examples, and common mistakes to watch for.

Letter sound

A letter sound is the sound a letter or letter group usually makes in spoken words, which readers use to match print to speech when reading and spelling.

Long vowel

A long vowel is a vowel sound that says the same name as the letter itself, like the a in "cake," the e in "tree," or the i in "bike." Long vowels often appear in patterns such as a silent e at the end of a word or two vowels together.

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