June 26, 2025

Learn to Read – Phonics: Alternative Letters (Graphemes)

in Early Learning

When children begin learning to read, they quickly realize that the same sound can be spelled in multiple ways. These alternative spellings or graphemes play a key role in decoding and spelling words correctly. This guide focuses on common word endings—including consonant-based endings, vowel-based and r-controlled endings, and early suffixes. Understanding these endings helps young readers:

Recognize familiar spelling patterns
Improve fluency and word recognition
Expand vocabulary and writing confidence

Whether your child is reading independently or learning with support, these grapheme patterns provide a strong foundation in phonics.

Consonant-Based Endings

Ending	Examples	Notes
-ck	back, neck, stick, duck	hard /k/ sound after short vowels
-ng	sing, ring, long, bang	nasal sound /ŋ/
-nk	pink, sink, tank, junk	nasal + /k/ blend
-ch	lunch, bench, much, rich	/ch/ sound
-sh	fish, brush, dish, crash	/sh/ sound
-th	bath, moth, with	voiceless /th/ sound
-tch	catch, match, witch, stitch	/ch/ after short vowel
-ll	ball, wall, hill, bell	double “l” after short vowel
-ss	mess, kiss, dress	double “s” for short vowel + /s/
-ff	puff, cliff, sniff	double “f” after short vowel
-zz	buzz, jazz, fuzz	double “z” after short vowel

Vowel-Based & R-Controlled Endings

Ending	Examples	Notes
-ay	play, day, say	long A diphthong ending
-oy	boy, toy, enjoy	/oi/ diphthong
-ow	snow, grow, throw	long O sound
-ew	new, chew, blew	/oo/ or /yoo/ sound
-ar	car, star, far	bossy R
-or	for, short, more	bossy R
-er	her, later, teacher	bossy R or suffix
-ir	bird, girl, third	bossy R (same sound as er/ur)
s	fur, blur, nurse	bossy R (same sound as er/ir)
-y	happy, funny, cloudy	sometimes acts as long E at the end

Common Suffixes for Early Readers

Suffix	Examples	Function
-ed	played, jumped, ended	past tense
-ing	running, walking, jumping	ongoing action
-er	teacher, player, runner	person who… / comparative
-est	biggest, fastest, kindest	superlative
-ly	slowly, kindly, quickly	describes how (adverb)
-ful	helpful, thankful, playful	full of
-less	careless, hopeless, fearless	without
-ness	kindness, sadness, darkness	state of being

Mastering alternative graphemes helps children move beyond basic decoding to become confident, fluent readers. From consonant digraphs like -ck and -sh, to r-controlled vowels like -ar and -er, and suffixes like -ing and -ful, these endings are essential building blocks for literacy. Encourage regular reading practice, word play, and spelling games using these patterns—and watch your child grow into a more capable and curious reader every day.

Make phonics practice exciting and effective!
📘 Explore our Animal Flashcards for Toddlers – a great way to introduce early learners to letter-sound connections.
👉 https://nestatoys.in/products/animal-flashcards-for-toddlers