The English Alphabetic Code

simple code
phonemes graphemes key words key pictures

complex code

/s/ s
snake

-ss -ce -se ce ci cy sc

glass palace house

-stcastle

cents city bicycle scissors

/a/ a
apple

ps
pseudonym

/t/ t
teddy

-tt -ed
letter skipped

/i/ i
insect

-y
cymbals
Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/p/ p
pan

-pp
puppet

/n/ n
net

-nn kn gn -ine
bonnet knot gnome engine

/k/ c
cat

k
kit egg head

-ck ch qu que
duck
chameleon

bouquet

plaque

/e/ e /h/ h
hat

ea ai
said

Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/r/ r
rat

-rr wr rh
arrow write
rhinoceros

/m/ m
map

mm -mb -mn -me

hammer thumb columns welcome

/d/ d
dig

-dd -ed
puddle rained

/g/ g
girl

-gg gu gh gue
juggle guitar ghost
catalogue

/o/ o
orange

wa qua alt
watch qualify salt
Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/u/ u
umbrella

o
son

-ou -ough
touch thoroughfare

/l/ l
ladder

-ll
shell

/ul/ /f/ f
feathers

-le -il
kettle pencil cliff photo

-al -el
hospital

camel

-ff ph -gh
laugh

/b/ b
bat

-bb bu
rabbit
buildings
Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/j/ j
jug

-ge ge gi gy dge
cabbage
gerbil giraffe gymnast

fridge

/y/ y
yawn

/ai/ ai
aid

ay a
tray table

ae a-e -ey eigh -ea

sundae cakes prey eight break

/w/ w
web oak

wh
wheel

/oa/ oa ow o
bow piano

oe o-e -o
oboe rope dough

plateau

eau

Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/igh/ -igh -ie

tie night

i
behind emu

-y
fly

i-e ei
bike eider
key chief

/ee/ ee ea e
eel eat /aw/ fork dawn sauce

-y
chalk

e-e
oars

-ine
sardines

*sunny concrete *monkey *movie

/or/ or aw au al
or

oar oor ore our

door snore four

/z/ z
zebra gong

-zz -s
jazz fries jungle

-se -ze
cheese breeze
caught

/or/ war
or

/aw/

wardrobe

/ng/ -ng -n

augh ough quar

thought quarter
Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/ngk/ -nk
ink

/v/ v
violin book

-ve
dove should

/oo/ oo oul
/oo/

oo -ue u-e -ew -ui -ou -o

moon blue flute crew fruit soup move

ough
through

/ks/ -x
fox

-ks -kes -cks

books cakes ducks
Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/gz/ -x
exam

/ch/ ch -tch
chairs patch

/chu/ ture
picture station magician
admission

/sh/ sh ch -ti -ci -ssi

sheep chef

/th/ th
thistle

/th/ th
there

/kw/ qu
queen
Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/ou/ ou ow -o
ouch owl plough

/oi/ oi
ointment

oy
toy

/yoo/

-ue u
statue unicorn

u-e ew eu
tube new
pneumatic

/er/ er
artist

ir
father

ur ear wor
nurse earth world mixer

-our -re
humour theatre

mermaid birthday

/ar/ ar a

alm alf alv

palm half calves

Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com

/air/ air are ear ere

hair hare bear where

/eer/ eer ear ere ier

deer ears adhere cashier

/zh/ -si -s
television treasure

-z
azure

-g
courgette

-ge
collage

*-y, *-ey, *-ie as word endings are often pronounced between /i/ and /ee/. On this chart examples appear in the /ee/ row.

The complexities of the English Alphabetic Code include: 1. one sound (phoneme) can be represented by one, two, three or four letters: e.g. k, sh, ng, igh, eigh 2. one sound can be represented by different spellings (graphemes): e.g. /oa/ is represented by: o, oa, ow, oe, o-e, eau, ough 3. one spelling can represent multiple sounds: e.g. ough: /oa/ though, /or/ thought, /oo/ through, /ou/ plough, /u/ thorough
Key to the 12 units of Debbie Hepplewhites Phonics International online synthetic phonics programme: units1-5 Mainly simple code with options to extend 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 6-12 /air/, /eer/, /zh/, split digraphs, complex code 6th 7th 8th 9th 5th 10th

11th

12th

Debbies programme introduces a simple code of at least one letter/s-sound correspondence for each of the 44+ sounds of speech of the English language. The programme then expands to teach further spelling and pronunciation variations of the complex Alphabetic Code.

Copyright 2008 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com