The English Alphabetic Code

simple code complex code

phonemes graphemes and and key pictures key words for the United States of America and Canada

/s/ /a/ /t/ /i/

s
snake

-ss -ce -se ce ci cy sc

glass palace house

-stps
pseudonym

cents city bicycle scissors castle

a
apple

alf
half

/s/

t
tent

-tt -ed
letter skipped

i
insect

-y
cymbals
Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/p/ /n/ /k/ /e/ /h/

p
pan

-pp
puppet

n c e

net

-nn kn gn -ine
bonnet knot gnome engine

cat

kit

-ck ch qu que
duck
chameleon

bouquet plaque

ea ai
head
said again

egg

h
hat

wh
who
Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/r/ /m/ /d/ /g/ /o/

r
rat

-rr wr rh
arrow write
rhinoceros

m d
dig

map

mm -mb -mn -me

hammer thumb columns welcome

-dd -ed
puddle rained

g
girl

-gg gu gh gue
juggle guitar ghost
vogue

octopus watch

wa qua alt
qualify salt
Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/u/ /l/ /ul/ /f/ /b/

u l
ladder

-o -ll
shell

-ou
touch

umbrella son

-le -il
kettle pencil

-al -el
hospital camel

f b
bat

-ff ph -gh
photo laugh

feathers cliff

-bb bu
rabbit
building
Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/j/ /y/ /ai/ /w/ /oa/

j
jug

-ge ge gi gy dge
cabbage
gerbil giraffe gymnast

fridge

yawn

ai
aid

ay a
tray table

ae a-e -ey eigh -ea

sundae cakes prey eight break

w
web oak

wh
wheel

oa ow o
bow yo-yo

oe o-e -ough
oboe rope dough

eau
plateau

Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/igh/ /ee/ /or/ /aw/ /z/

-igh -ie i
night tie

-y
*

i-e ei
bike eider
sardines

behind shy

ee ea e
eel eat fork oars

emu

* sunny concrete key chief *monkey *movie

-y e-e -ey -ie -ine

four
wardrobe quarter

or oar oor ore our war quar

door snore

aw au al
dawn sauce chalk

augh ough
caught thought

z
zebra

-zz -s
jazz fries

-se -ze
cheese breeze

Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/ng/ /v/ /oo/ /oo/ /ks/

-ng -n
gong jungle

/ngk/

-nk
ink

violin

-ve
dove

oo -oul
book should moon blue flute crew fruit soup

/oo/ ough
through

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

move

-eu
pneumatic

-x
fox

-ks -cks -kes

books ducks cakes
Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/gz/

-x
exam

/ch/ /sh/ /th/ /th/ /kw/

ch -tch
chairs patch

/cher/

ture
picture

sh ch -ti -ci -ssi

sheep chef

station magician mission

th
thistle

th

there

qu
queen
Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/ou/ /oi/ /yoo/ /er/ /ar/

ou ow -ough
ouch owl plough

oi

ointment toy

oy u-e -ew
a few
Canada

-ue u er ar
artist

barbecue unicorn cubes

ir

mermaid birthday nurse

ur ear wor -our -re

earth world

humour theatre

-or -er
humor

USA

theater

Copyright Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009

/air/ /eer/ /zh/

air -are -ear -ere

hair hare bear where

eer ear -ere -ier

deer ears

adhere cashier

-si -s

-z

-ge
collage

television treasure azure

*-y, *-ey, *-ie are pronounced between /i/ and /ee/ when these graphemes are word-endings so they appear in both /i/ and /ee/ rows.

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
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 5th 6-12 /air/, /eer/, /zh/, split digraphs, complex code 6th 7th 8th 9th 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 Debbie Hepplewhite and www.PhonicsInternational.com 2009