Same Sound, Sneaky Spelling

English · Phonics & Word Reading · ages 6-8

Name ______________________ Date ____________

In the word 'wrap', the letters wr make just the /r/ sound.
Circle one: True False
Which word has the /j/ sound spelled with the letter g?
- goat
- gum
- gem
In the word 'cent', what sound does the letter c make?
- /k/, like in cat
- /ch/, like in chip
- /s/, like in sun
The /n/ sound can be spelled kn, with a silent k. Which word starts with kn?
- nap
- knee
- net
When a word looks strange, the best plan is to stop reading and skip it.
Circle one: True False
Which word starts with a silent letter before the /r/ sound?
- write
- run
- read
The /j/ sound (like in 'jump') can be spelled more than one way. Which pair both make that sound?
- 'g' in giraffe and 'dge' in badge
- 'c' in cat and 'k' in kite
- 's' in sun and 'z' in zoo
Three of these words start with a silent letter. Which one does NOT?
- nest
- knot
- wrong
Theo reads the word 'circle'. He says both c's make the /k/ sound, like in 'cat'. What is his slip?
- Nothing. Both c's say /k/
- The word 'circle' has no letter c
- The first c says /s/ and the second c says /k/
Ana is reading a new word: 'gnat'. She knows gn can be a tricky spelling. What should she try first?
- Say the /g/ sound, then /n/, then at
- Skip the whole word
- Skip the g, try the /n/ sound for gn, then blend at

Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

True · The w in wrap is silent. You only hear /r/, then a, then p.
gem · In 'gem', the e comes after the g, and g before e can say /j/.
/s/, like in sun · The c in cent comes before e, so it makes the /s/ sound, like the c in city.
knee · Knee starts with k and n together. The k is silent, so you just hear /n/.
False · The lesson's tip says to try a sound you already know. Skipping never cracks the word.
write · Write starts with wr. The w is silent, so you just hear /r/.
'g' in giraffe and 'dge' in badge · Giraffe and badge both have the /j/ sound, even though they're spelled with g and dge.
nest · Every letter in 'nest' speaks. Knot hides a silent k and wrong hides a silent w.
The first c says /s/ and the second c says /k/ · Circle has two c's. The first sits before i and says /s/, like in city. The second keeps the hard /k/ sound.
Skip the g, try the /n/ sound for gn, then blend at · Since gn usually makes just the /n/ sound, Ana should try /n/ first, then blend at to read 'gnat'.