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Alternative Spellings for Known Sounds

Recognise alternative grapheme-phoneme correspondences for known phonemes (e.g., /dʒ/ as ge/dge/g, /s/ as c, /n/ as kn/gn, /r/ as wr, /ʒ/ as s), reading words with less common spellings for familiar sounds

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What a learner can do afterwards

  • Read words with less common spellings for familiar sounds: 'badge', 'giraffe', 'city', 'knock', 'gnaw', 'write', 'treasure'
  • Identify that the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes (e.g., /dʒ/ spelled g, ge, dge)
  • Select the correct alternative GPC to decode an unfamiliar word in context

1 · Read

You already know lots of letter sounds. But some sounds like to hide. The /j/ sound you hear in 'jump' can also be spelled g or dge, like in 'giraffe' and 'bridge'. Same sound, new spelling.

jumpcagebridge
Jump, cage, and bridge all have the /j/ sound. Three spellings, one sound.
Try it together

Ben reads the word 'knock'. He sees k-n at the start, but he only hears /n/. The k stays silent. He blends the rest of the word and reads knock.

Good to know

When a word looks strange, try the sound you already know. Watch for kn, gn, wr, dge, ge, c, and s. They can be clues for a familiar sound in a new spelling.

The same sound can wear different spellings, so try what you know and check if the word makes sense.

2 · Watch

3 · Play

step 1 of 6

You know letter teams. Two letters team up, like ai in rain. Three letters team up, like igh in light. A team can even split, like a-e in cape. Today one sound gets three different teams. Zara is reading a book about a giraffe, and the first word is jump.

Say jump. Which letter makes the /j/ sound at the start?

jump

Take it off screen

Print a worksheetA4 with an answer key page for grown-ups. No screen, no internet.

Where it sits

Then practise

24 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.

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Alternative Spellings for Known Sounds · English, ages 6 to 8 · LightMySky