Author: maragarcia

\b\

b

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (bat)
\b\=b

\f\

f

ff

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (fish)
\b\=b
In final position
Immediately after a short vowel in a one syllable word (off)
\f\=ff

\h\

h

In initial or medial position in a base word (house)
\h\=h
In final position in a base word, rarely used in English except in a consonant cluster: (examples: sh,th,ch,tch)

\k\

c

ke

k

c

k

ck

In initial or medial position in a base word
Before \e\,\i\, and \y\ (kite) \k\=k
Before \a\,\o\,\u\, and any consonant (cup) \k\=c
In final position in a base word
after a short vowel in a one syllable word (truck) \k\=ck
after a long vowel (rake) \k\=ke
after a consonant (pink) \k\=k
after a short vowel in a multi syllable word (picnic) \k\=ck

m

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (mitten)
\m\=m

p

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (pig)
\p\=p

\s\

s

c

ss

ce

se

s

In initial or medial position in a base word (sock) \s\=s
In medial position in a base word
Before \e\,\i\, or\y\ (centipede) \s\=c
In final position in a base word
after a short vowel (kiss) \s\=ss
after a long vowel (mice) \s\=ce
after a consonant or vowel pair (moose) \s\=se
after a short vowel in a multi syllable word (canvase) \s\=s

\v\

v

ve

In initial or medial position in a base word (valentine)
\v\=v
In final position in a base word (cave)
\v\=ve

\m\

\p\

\ôr\

or

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word
In an accented syllable (fork) \ôr\=or

\ou\

ou

ow

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a word of any length (mouse) \ou\=ou
In final position in a base word (cow) \ou\=ow

\âr\

ar

In initial, medial or final position in a base word
In an accented syllable (star) \âr\=ar

\ū\

u-e

u

ue

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a one syllable word (cube) \ū\=u-e
In an open accented syllable (unicorn) \ū\=u
In final position in a base word (statue) \ū\=ue

i

In initial or medial position in a base word (igloo) \ĭ\=i

a

In initial or medial position in a base word (apple) \ă\=a
Never in final position in a base word

\ō\

o-e

o

ow

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a one syllable word (rope) \ō\=o-e
In final accented syllable in a multi syllable word (envelope)
In an open accented syllable (open) \ō\=o
In final position in a base word
In words of any length (snow) \ō\=ow

\ŭ\

u

a

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a closed syllable (umbrella) \ŭ\=u
In an open unaccented syllable (banana) \ŭ\=a
In final position in a base word (banana) \ŭ\=a

\ĭ\

\ă\

\ōō\

oo

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (moon) \oo\=oo

\d\

d

ed

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (dog) \d\=d
In final position in a derivative after a voiced letter (smiled) \d\=ed

\oo\

oo

Never in initial position in a base word
In medial position in a base word (book) \oo\=oo
Never in final position in a base word

\au\

au

a

aw

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a word of any length (saucer) \au\=au
before \l\ (ball) \au\=a
In final position in a base word (saw) \au\=aw

e

In initial or medial position in a base word (elephant) \ĕ\=e
Never in final position in a base word

wh

In initial or medial position in a base word (whistle) \hw\=wh
Never in final position in a base word

\ī\

i-e

i

y

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a one syllable word (five) \ī\=i-e
In final accented syllable (recline)
In an open accented syllable (iris) \ī\=i
In final position in a base word (fly) \ī\=y

\ŏ\

o

a

In initial or medial position in a base word (octopus) \ŏ\=o
In medial position
After \w\ (watch) \ŏ\=a

\ĕ\

\hw\

\sh\

sh

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (ship) \sh\=sh

\oi\

oi

oy

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (coil) \oi\=oi
In final position in a base word (boy) \oi\=oy

\y\

y

In initial position in a base word (yarn) \y\=y
In medial position in a base word, only used when the initial sound in the syllable (lawyer)
Never in final position in a base word

\ā\

a-e

a

ay

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a one syllable word (cake) \ā\=a-e
In final accented syllable (erase)
In open accented syllable \ā\=a
In final position in a base word (tray) \ā\=ay

w

In initial or medial position in a base word (wagon) \w\=w
In final position in a base word,only used as part of a vowel pair

qu

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a word of any length (queen) \kw\=qu
Never in final position in a base word

\th\

\th\

th

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word
Voiced sound \th\ (mother)
Unvoiced \th\ (thimble) \th\=th

\ch\

ch

tch

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (chair) \ch\=ch
In final position in a base word
After a short vowel in a one syllable word (pitch) \ch\=tch

\w\

\kw\

\ks\

x

Never in initial position
In medial, or final position in a base word (box)
\ks\=x

\z\

z

s

In initial position in a base word (zipper)
\z\=z
In medial or final position in a base word (nose)
\z\=s

\r\

r

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (rabbit)
\r\=r

\j\

j

g

ge

dge

In initial or medial position in a base word
Before \a\,\o\,\u\ (jam) \j\=j
Before \e\,\i\, or \y\ (giraffe) \j\=g
In final position in a base word
In a multi syllabic word or after a consonant or long vowel sound in a one syllable word (hinge) \j\=ge
Immediately after a short vowel sound in a one syllable word (badge) \j\=dge

n

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (nest)
\n\=n

g

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (goat)
\g\=g

In initial or medial position in a base word
In a one syllable word (feet) \ē\=ee
In final accented syllable in a multi syllable word (athlete) \ē\=e-e
In open accented syllable (equal) \ē\=e
In final position in a base word
(three) \ē\=ee
(penny) \ē\=y
In final position in a derivative (funny) \ē\=y
Suffix meaning “full of,””little,””like,” or “place of business”
after a short vowel in a multi syllable word (canvase) \s\=s

\ē\

ee

e-e

e

ee

y

\t\

t

ed

In initial, medial or final position in a base word (table) \t\=t
In final position in a derivative after an unvoiced sound (walked) \t\=ed

\n\

\g\

\êr\

er

or

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word
In accented (fern) or unaccented (letter) syllable \er\=er
After \w\ (world) \er\=or

\l\

l

ll

In initial, medial, or final position in a base word (leaf) \l\=l
In final position in a base word
After a short vowel in a one syllable word (bell) \l\=ll

\ng\

ng

n

Never in initial position in a base word
In medial position in a base word, (finger) \ng\=ng
Before \k\ (sink) \ng\=n
In final position in a base word (king) \ng\=ng

Doubling

If a base word ends with a short vowel and one consonant in an accented syllable, double the final consonant before adding a vowel suffix.
run+ing=running
refer+ing=referring

Floss

If a one syllable base word ends with \f\, \l\, or \s\
immediately following a short vowel sound, spell it
with ff, ll, or ss.
off
bell
kiss

Dropping

If a base word ends with a silent e, drop the silent e before adding a vowel suffix.
Hike + ing = hiking

Changing

If a base word ends with a consonant y, change the y to I before adding any suffix that does not begin with i.
baby + es = babies

Double Medial Consonant

If one medial consonant sound can be heard immediately after a short vowel sound, double the medial consonant letter in a two syllable base word.
ră’ bĭt rabbit
tĕ nĭs tennis
gŏ sĭp gossip