This is the full list of the 70 phonograms used in the Spalding method (Phonogram Fun is independent and not affiliated with Spalding Education International). Each row is one phonogram: the letter or letters on the tile, then every sound it makes, in the order children learn to try them, with an example word for each sound. The number is its place in the teaching order, so single letters come first and the letter teams follow, roughly from most to least common. The whole chart is free to print as one A4 page for the fridge or the homework desk. Use it alongside the weekly spelling list: when a new word comes home, find its phonograms here and say each sound together. New to the idea? Start with What is a phonogram?
Single-letter phonograms
The alphabet, in teaching order. q never appears without u in English words, so it's learned as qu.
- 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
Multi-letter phonograms
44 letter teams of two, three or four letters, each making its own sound or sounds.
- 27sh
- /sh/ as in dish
- 28ee
- /ē/ as in see
- 29th
- /th/ as in thin
- /th̲/ as in this
- 30ow
- /ow/ as in how
- /ō/ as in low
- 31ou
- /ow/ as in round
- /ō/ as in soul
- /ōō/ as in you
- /ŭ/ as in country
- 32oo
- /ōō/ as in boot
- /ŏŏ/ as in foot
- 33ch
- /ch/ as in much
- /k/ as in school
- /sh/ as in chef
- 34ar
- /ar/ as in far
- 35ay
- /ā/ as in day
- 36ai
- /ā/ as in paint
- 37oy
- /oy/ as in boy
- 38oi
- /oi/ as in point
- 39er
- /er/ as in her
- 40ir
- /er/ as in first
- 41ur
- /er/ as in nurse
- 42wor
- /wer/ as in works
- 43ear
- /er/ as in early
- 44ng
- /ng/ as in rang
- 45ea
- /ē/ as in eat
- /ĕ/ as in head
- /ā/ as in break
- 46aw
- /aw/ as in law
- 47au
- /aw/ as in author
- 48or
- /or/ as in for
- 49ck
- /k/ as in neck
- 50wh
- /hw/ as in when
- 51ed
- /ed/ as in graded
- /d/ as in loved
- /t/ as in wrecked
- 52ew
- /ōō/ as in grew
- /ū/ as in few
- 53ui
- /ōō/ as in fruit
- /ū/ as in suit
- 54oa
- /ō/ as in boat
- 55gu
- /g/ as in guess
- 56ph
- /f/ as in phone
- 57ough
- /ō/ as in though
- /ōō/ as in through
- /uf/ as in rough
- /of/ as in cough
- /aw/ as in thought
- /ow/ as in drought
- 58oe
- /ō/ as in toe
- 59ey
- /ā/ as in they
- /ē/ as in key
- /ĭ/ as in valley
- 60igh
- /ī/ as in sigh
- 61kn
- /n/ as in knot
- 62gn
- /n/ as in sign
- 63wr
- /r/ as in wrap
- 64ie
- /ē/ as in field
- /ī/ as in pie
- /ĭ/ as in lilies
- 65dge
- /j/ as in bridge
- 66ei
- /ē/ as in conceit
- /ā/ as in veil
- /ĭ/ as in forfeit
- 67eigh
- /ā/ as in weigh
- 68ti
- /sh/ as in nation
- 69si
- /sh/ as in session
- /zh/ as in vision
- 70ci
- /sh/ as in facial
Want to see how these fit together in real words? Try the word analyser on the home page, or read What is a phonogram? for the five-minute background.
Questions parents ask
How many phonograms are there?
There are 70 in this set: 26 single-letter phonograms (the alphabet, with q always written as qu) and 44 multi-letter phonograms such as sh, ee, igh and eigh. Together they spell the vast majority of English words.
Which phonograms make more than one sound?
23 of the 70 make more than one sound: the single letters a, c, g, o, s, e, i, u and y, and the letter teams th, ow, ou, oo, ch, ea, ed, ew, ui, ough, ey, ie, ei and si. ough has the most, with six.
In what order should children learn them?
In the order on this chart: the single letters first, starting with a, c, d, f, g and o, which all begin with the same curved pencil stroke; then common teams like sh, ee, th, ow and ou; and finally rarer ones like eigh, ti, si and ci. Learn every sound of a phonogram together, so children know what to try when the first sound doesn't work.
