Jolly Phonics Rules
1. Magic ‘e’ Rule
When e is the last letter in a word, and there’s only one other vowel in that word, the first vowel
usually says its own name and the e is silent, as in cake, bake, hole, pile, shape, tape, mute.
In this rule , e can hop only one consonant wall , it cannot hop 2 constant walls therefore in words
like hopped, chopped , stopped this rule will not be applicable.
Exceptions to magic e rule are love
2. When 2 vowels are walking
The rule says, when 2 vowels are walking first one does the talking, and the second one is silent or
keeps its mouth shut.
This rule will be applicable in 40% of the words or majorly with diagraphs like ai ( rain) , oa ( coat) ,
ea ( beach) , ui (juice ) , ei (ceiling ) , oe (oe) , ue (blue).
Exceptions to this rule :
Ai – said, pair
Ea – leather, already, early, break, earth, bread
Ui – build, liquid, biscuit
Ei – height , eight
Oe – shoes, poem
Ue – guest, league
3. F, l, s, z rule
This rule is applicable only for these 4 consonants , when they are at the end of the short word with
one short vowel which is immediately precedes the consonant like f, l, s or z then these consonants
will be doubled.
4. Shy ‘I’ and Toughy ‘ Y’
Y also steals the sound of Long /e/ at the end of the word.
The letter 'i' is very small and very shy. It does not like to be at the end of a word. The letter 'y' is
big, tough and generous. So it helps 'i' out by taking its place at the end of the word.
Eg. Shy, cry, fry , defy, July , apply, sly
This rule also works with the vowel graphemes 'ai/ay' and 'oi/oy' where the 'ai/oi' versions are
generally in the centre of words and 'ay/oy' versions are usually at the end of words.
In few words Y also makes a sound of long /e/ at the end , Eg. Holly, trolly, funny, chimney, Tummy ,
money
5. ‘-K’ and ‘- ck Rule’
When the /k/ sound is at the end of a word it can be spelled with either the letter “k” or the
letters “ck”.
When the final /k/ sound is preceded by a vowel team or a consonant just before the /k/
sound then it is spelled with a “k”. For example, the words “break”, “beak”, “seek”, “soak” and
dark all have a long vowel sound before the final /k/ sound and therefore is /k/ is spelled “k”.
When the final /k/ sound is preceded by a short vowel, the sound is spelled with “ck”. Here are
a few examples: “chick”, “crack”, “slick”. Notice that the vowel before the final /k/ sound
makes its short sound.
6. Soft c and Soft g Rule
When a letter ‘c’ is followed by letter ‘e, i and y’ then the sound of c becomes /s/.
Eg. cell, centre, cent, circus , cycle, city , fence.
When a letter ‘g’ is followed by letter ‘e, i and y’ then the sound of g becomes /j/.
Eg. ginger, gym, gel , gender , large.
7. Consonant Doubling Rule
When adding ed , ing or er to a word, we double the consonant if the vowel before that
consonant is short vowel. Examples of that are gripped, stopping, and bigger. We don’t double
the consonant when the vowel is long.
