In the Spalding method, the first 26 phonograms are the single letters of the alphabet, but not in alphabetical order, and not with just one sound each. Children learn every sound a letter can make, in order of how often it makes it: a says /ă/ as in at, /ā/ as in navy and /ŏ/ as in father. These 26 are often called "phonograms 1–26" in Spalding schools and homeschool plans.
Here they are in Spalding teaching order, with every sound and an example word for each. 9 of the 26 have more than one sound: a, c, g, o, s, e, i, u, y.
Phonograms 1–26, in Spalding order
- 1a
- /ă/ as in at
- /ā/ as in navy
- /ŏ/ as in father
- 2c
- /k/ as in can
- /s/ as in cent
- 3d
- /d/ as in lid
- 4f
- /f/ as in if
- 5g
- /g/ as in bag
- /j/ as in gem
- 6o
- /ŏ/ as in odd
- /ō/ as in open
- /ōō/ as in do
- 7s
- /s/ as in us
- /z/ as in as
- 8qu
- /kw/ as in quit
- 9b
- /b/ as in rib
- 10e
- /ĕ/ as in end
- /ē/ as in me
- 11h
- /h/ as in him
- 12i
- /ĭ/ as in big
- /ī/ as in silent
- 13j
- /j/ as in jam
- 14k
- /k/ as in ink
- 15l
- /l/ as in lag
- 16m
- /m/ as in ham
- 17n
- /n/ as in win
- 18p
- /p/ as in map
- 19r
- /r/ as in rat
- 20t
- /t/ as in bat
- 21u
- /ŭ/ as in up
- /ū/ as in music
- /ŏŏ/ as in put
- 22v
- /v/ as in vivid
- 23w
- /w/ as in wit
- 24x
- /ks/ as in box
- 25y
- /y/ as in yet
- /ĭ/ as in gym
- /ī/ as in my
- 26z
- /z/ as in zest
Phonograms 1–26 · free to print from phonogramfun.com/learn · not affiliated with Spalding Education International
Why this order?
The order comes from handwriting. In Spalding's manuscript, a, c, d, f, g, o, s and qu all begin at the same point on an imaginary clock face, so they're taught together first. The letters that begin with a straight line come next, and so on. Learning to say a phonogram's sounds while writing it is the core of the method: the hand, eye and ear all learn it at once.
A few notes on the 26:
- qu counts as one phonogram, because in English q is (almost) always followed by u. It says /kw/.
- x says /ks/: two sounds from one letter.
- y has three sounds: /y/ in yet, /ĭ/ in gym, /ī/ in my.
- u has three: /ŭ/ in up, /ū/ in music and /ŏŏ/ in put.
How to practise phonograms 1–26
- Say all the sounds, in order, every time. Not just "a says /ă/": all three, in the same order.
- Write while saying. Your child says the sounds aloud as they write the phonogram, without looking at a model once they know it.
- A few a day. Review the ones they know, add two or three new ones. Daily review matters more than speed.
- Then move on to 27–70, the letter teams like sh, ee and th. The full list is in The 70 phonograms.
Printable cards for all 70 are on the free phonogram cards page.
Questions parents ask
What are phonograms 1–26?
In the Spalding method, phonograms 1 to 26 are the single letters of the alphabet, taught in a set order (a, c, d, f, g, o, s, qu, then b, e, h and so on), with every sound each letter makes.
Why does Spalding teach the letters out of alphabetical order?
Because the order follows handwriting. a, c, d, f, g, o, s and qu all start at the same point on a clock face, so they are learned together first.
Is qu one phonogram or two?
One. In English q is almost always followed by u, so qu is taught as a single phonogram that says /kw/.