Onset & Rime*

Cards
Teaching Resource

* The "onset" is the initial phonological unit of any single-syllable word or a syllable (e.g. c in cat). The rime refers to
the string of letters that follow, usually a vowel and final consonants (e.g. at in cat). Not all words have onsets.

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Introduction

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 Introduction

the onset pin the rime

Before children can systematically read multisyllabic words, they must first
figure out the vowel sounds in singe-syllable words (i.e. in common CVC,
CVCe and CVVC words).

Focusing on common onset and rime patterns is one way to help

learners focus on single-syllable word patterns. The onset is the initial
phonological unit of any single-syllable word, often represented as a
consonant (e.g. “c” in cat). The rime refers to the string of letters that
follow, usually a vowel and final consonant (e.g. “at” in cat). There are
many words that leaners can create and explore with common consonants
and the 48 most common rime patterns (contained in this resource).

ms CVC words CVCe words

an pin mat pin p i ne
t p
i sap s ip
short vowel
mat
short vowel
mate
long vowel

ay CVVC words Multisyllabic words

day boil
ee hotdog before
ea tree
oi bottle helicopter
bread
ie friend banana
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 1 2 1 2**

*
b c d f -ack -ake -an -ane -ain -ale -ail -at
b is /b/ as in bed baby c is /k/ in cat f is /f/ as in fun
bb is /b/ as in bubbly c is /s/ in circle or bicycle d is /d/ as in dog f is /v/ in of
dd is /d/ as in daddy (this is irregular) /a/ + /k/ /a/ + /k/ / a/ + /n/ / a/ + /n/ /a / + /t/
bh is /b/ as in Bhutan C softens to /s/ when followed / a/ + /n/ /a/ + /l/ /a/ + /l/
(uncommon) by E, I or Y. Otherwise, C ff is /f/ as in stuffy
says /k/, likewise, -ed is /d/ as in moved lf is /f/ as in calf words: back, tack, rack, sack, words: bake, cake, fake, lake words: ban, can, fan, pan, ran words: ban, can, fan, pan, ran words: pain, rain, train, stain words: bale, pale, kale, sale words: quail, rail, pail, nail words: at, bat, cat, mat, gnat
bt is /t/ in doubt sc is /s/ in scent -ed is /t/ as in jumped ph is /f/ as in phone non-words: dack, fack, non-words: make, yake non-words: zan, yan, quan non-words: zan, yan, quan non-words: yain, quain non-words: zale, quale non-words: cail, zail non-words: lat, dat, zat
mb is /m/ in thumb sc is /s/ + /k/ in scare -gh is /f/ as in laugh

2 1* 1* 1*

g h j k -ate -ame -ap -ape -ash -ank -ag -aw

g is /g/ as in game
j is only /j/ as in jar
g is /j/ as in gem h is /h/ in hole k is /k/ in kite
gg is /g/ as in giggle wh are /h/ in whole -ck is /k/ in back
yet g -ge & -dge can also / a/ + /p/ / a/ + /p/ / a/ + /sh/
gh- is /g/ as in ghost /a/ + /t/ /a/ + /m/ /a/ + /n/ + /k/
make the /j/ sound / a/ + /g/ /aw/
gu- is /g/ as in guide h is often combined in a k is silent in know, knight,
number of consonant sounds, as and knot
G softens to /j/ when followed words: date, late, fate, create words: same, name, fame, lame words: cap, nap, map, trap words: cape, drape, shape, tape words: sash, quash, smash words: thank, bank, tank words: bag, lag, nag, wag words: saw, law, paw, claw
-gh is /f/ in tough a silent letter - as in ghost - or c ch & -que can also make
by E, I or Y. Otherwise, G non-words: zate, wate non-words: wame, zame non-words: quap, vap, wap non-words: quape, zape non-words: zash, nash, vash non-words: zank, vank, cank non-words: zag, quag, yag non-words: zaw, vaw, taw
G softens to /j/ if followed by E, to represent a digraph sound - the /k/ sound
says /g/. English words don’t
I or Y. If not, G is /g/ as in phone or laugh
end in j.

1 1 2 1* 1

l m n
n is /n/ in now
p -ay -eat -est -ell -ed -en -ill -ick
n is /ng/ in think
l is /l/ in little m is /m/ in milk
p is /p/ in pie
ll is /l/ in silly mm is /m/ in summer /e/ + /l/ / e/ + /d/ / e/ + /n/
nn is /n/ in sunny pp is /p/ in puppy /e/ + /t/ /e/ + /s/ + /t/
-le is /l/ in simple mb is /m/ in thumb /a/ / i / + /l/ / i / + /k/
kn is /n/ in know
- mn is /m/ in autumn
gn is /n/ in gnat
lf is /f/ in calf and in half
pn is /n/ in pneumonia ph is /f/ in phone words: say, play, tray, way words: seat, wheat, treat, neat words: best, zest, west, nest words: tell, sell, well, bell, yell words: bed, fled, Ted words: hen, Ben, zen, den, pen words: bill, hill, will, quill, trill words: lick, trick, wick, quick
al is /aw/ in walk m is always /m/, except in the
-mn is /m/ in autumn p is silent in pn-, pt-, and ps- non-words: say, tay, vay non-words: zeat, veat, yeat non-words: hest, yest non-words: zell, fell, mell non-words: yed, ved non-words: ken, ven, quen non-words: zill, yill non-words: zick, yick
oul is /short oo/ in would rare mn- is /n/ in mnemonic
-ng is /ng/ in sing

1* 1 3 2

qu- r s
s is /s/ in snake t
s is /sh/ in sure -ice -it -ight -ite -ip -ig -in -ine
s is /z/ in is
r is /r/ in rain t is /t/ in talk
qu- is /kw/ as in quick rr is /r/ in hurry t is /ch/ in future
sc is /s/ in scent / i / + /n/ / i / + /n/
whereas, -que is /k/ as in wr is /r/ in write -bt is /t/ in doubt / i / + /t/ / i / + /t/ / i / + /t/ / i / + /p/
-se is /s/ in mouse / i / + /s/ / i / + /g/
cheque rh is /r/ in rhyme
ss is /s/ in messy
tt is /t/ in little
ps is /s/ in psychiatry
q is always accompanied by the ti- is /sh/ in nation words: mice, twice, lice, nice words: sit, quit, wit, lit, exit words: light, slight, fight, tight words: site, bite, lite, quite words: sip, lip, flip, hip, zip words: big, gig, twig, wig words: win, fin, bin, words: mine, twine, line, dine
ss is /sh/ in pressure
“u” and so “u” is not considered r is always /r/ and r appears in ti- is /t/ + /long i/ in title non-words: zice, yice non-words: yit, dit, git non-words: zight, wight non-words: site, hite, twite non-words: yip non-words: vig, yig non-words: hin, zin, min non-words: zine, nine, bine
-se is /z/ in choose
a vowel in this case. controlled-r vowels as in far pt is /t/ in pterodactyl
c -ce are /s/ in cease & peace

1 1* 2** 1**

v w x y
Onset-Rime Map

v is /v/ in van
-ve is /v/ in have
w is /w/ in water
(as a consonant)
-ink -ide -ock -oke -ot -oat -oom -ook
x is /ks/ in fox or ox
y is /y/ as in yellow when a / i / + /n/ + /k/ / oo/ + /m/ /oo / + /k/
f is /v/ in of consonant, i also makes the /y/ / i / + /d/ / o / + /k/ / o / + /m/ / o / + /t/ / o / + /t/
wh are /w/ in whale
(this is irregular) sound in onion
wh is /hw/ in while yet
wh is /h/ in whole x is /z/ in xylophone words: sink, think, blink, wink words: side, wide, slide, hide words: sock, mock, flock, clock words: poke, smoke, yoke words: hot, bot, lot, not, rot words: moat, boat, words: room, boom, zoom words: look, book, took, cook
English words do not end in “v”, y often appears in vowel non-words: yoom, toom
wr is /r/ in write (this is irregular) non-words: zink, yink, hink non-words: zide, yide, dide non-words: zock, yock, vock non-words: doke, loke, voke non-words: yot, zot, vot non-words: zoat, yoat non-words: yook, zook, vook
which is why there is the “ve” sounds, which appear on a
form separate card

1 3 1 2*

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z ch sh
sh- is /sh/ in ship, share,
th -ore -og -op -unk -ump -ut -ug -un
z is /z/ in zoo ch is /ch/ in cheese
s is /sh/ in sugar th is /th/ in this, that, the
zz is /z/ in fuzzy ch is /k/ in chord
ss is /sh/ in pressure /o/ + /p/ / u/ + /g/ / u/ + /n/
-ze is /z/ in snooze ch is /sh/ in chef / u / + /n/ + /k/ / u / + /m/ + /p/ / u / + /t/
ssi is /sh/ in mission th is always /th/, except in the /or/ /o/ + /n/
sci- is /sh/ in conscience rare th is /t/ in thyme
t is /ch/ in future
ti- is /sh/ in nation words: jump, lump, stump
x is /z/ in xylophone tch is /ch/ in catch words: core, more, store words: dog, log, bog, blog words: pop, top, mop, bop words: trunk, sunk, bunk words: but, nut, hut, rut, gut words: hug, bug, tug, lug words: fun, bun, sun, run
si- is /sh/ in confusion there are voiced/unvoiced forms non-words: zump, wump
s is /z/ in is -tch is used after a single vowel non-words: zore, vore non-words: zog, yog, vog non-words: zop, yop, vops non-words: zunk, yunk non-words: sut, lut, yut non-words: zug, nug, vug non-words: yun, zun, lun
ci- is /sh/ in physician of /th/
-se is /z/ in choose that does NOT say its name
ch is /sh/ in chef
 Sample Activity: Rime Machine

l ock
k
m
l oke
n k
m
l ook
n
m
Equipment:

n
Slide onset card
through rime card
Rime Here

Onsets
Here
Window cut in
the rime card

NB: Rule on display

If a word (a) ends with /k/ sound AND (b) the preceding vowel is a single-letter, short vowel, then the /k/ sound is
represented by the “ck” grapheme (as in “lock” or “snack” or “knock” or “lack”)

If a word (a) ends with /k/ sound AND (b) the preceding vowel is a single-letter, long vowel, then the CVCe pattern applies
and the /k/ sound is represented by “-ke”. (as in “take” or “lack” or “broke”)

If a words (a) ends with /k/ sound AND (b) the preceding vowel is a diphthong (e.g. the two-letter vowel combination “oo”),
then the /k/ sound is represented by the “k” grapheme. (as in “look” or “took” or “brook”)

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 Emergent (3 to 5 yrs old) Letter-Name Alphabetic (4 to 7 years old) Within-Word Pattern (7 to 9 Years old)

A-Z C V C C V C e
Spell it how it sounds
The single-syllable, CVC form is the easiest way for learners to
master consonants sounds, consonant digraphs, consonant blends,
the short form of the vowels and simple r-controlled vowels.
C V V C
Consonant - cat, bed, pig, sun, bot, bog, gig, bib, quit …
Spell it by pattern
Once a learner has mastered the CVC pattern, it is time to
CAT /K/ /A/ /T/ Digraph - with, chat, ship, fish, mush …
contrast the short vowel sounds with long vowel sound.

Pre-speller to spell it how it sounds Blends - plan, flag,

Once this contrast is developing, learners explore the various
Oral language, print awareness, diphthong forms and diverse vowel sounds in single-syllable
Concept phonemic awareness and alphabetic r-controlled vowels - car, far, fir, stir, star, blur,
words, such as bright. Learners also explore plurals, contractions,
of Word awareness are the key features of this homophones, homographs and compound words.
stage. These are the building blocks for NB: the short form of each vowel (a, e, i, o, u) is only represented
formal literacy. by a small number of spelling options … unlike the long form —>
Learners clarify spelling patterns with the help of dictionary aids

Affixes/Suffixes (9 to 11 years old) Derivational (11 years & older) Six Most Common Syllable Patterns
This syllable ends with a consonant and mat or pic-nic
Closed contains a single following, often in its or fresh (e.g
short form CVC or CCVC)

prefixes suffixes This syllable type ends with a vowel and

Open me or ve-to
-ed -ing -ly re- the vowel is often long

Silent e or vowel This syllable has a silent e at the end

cape or stripe or
consonant e which often signals that the vowel will be
cue
(ice) long
bases roots Vowel team or This syllable type contains two vowels pain or head or
vowel pair that make one sound. toy
sy
… wo llabl
rd e This syllable contains a vowel with the
2- 3 R-controlled far or ferment or
s letter r, and the vowel is neither short nor
vowel torment
schwa long.
e
from

WO
This syllable always appears at the end
ild apple or simple
Consonant + le of words and the consonant always goes
RD
Spell by rule & dictionary aids Bu S or fickle
with the -le
By this stage, leaners can decode most, if not all, single syllable words.

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At this stage, learners become adept at adding common prefixes and END NOTE: As encoding and decoding skills become automatic, there is
from a gradual shift in the treatment of literacy. There is a shift away from
suffixes as well as spelling a range of multisyllabic words, which requires encoding/decoding and toward composition/comprehension.
that they identify syllable junctures. The unstressed, ambiguous schwa Consequently, teachers assume that learners have the skills to create and
sound (often pronounced “uh”) is also present in many multisyllabic 10 - 13: use many strategies / 13+: spell from knowledge
consume texts. There is now an onus on conveying and extracting meaning
words, such as alone and confident. Learners will need to turn to other At this stage, there are few items which are missing from one’s skill
and intentions through text. For instance, it is assumed that one can read
tools to disambiguate these unclear vowel sounds. set. Instead, spelling & vocabulary learning are inextricable linked. the text [government form], but does one know what its means in context?)
Map of Orthographic Development
 Related Presentations

The Alphabetic Code

the interface between oral and print language

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https://youtu.be/dA4nt3rxTYM

https://youtu.be/D7vUhqVXLWg

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 Onset
Cards
(including consonant digraphs - ch, sh, th and wh)

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 c
3

b d
1 1

c is /k/ in cat
c is /s/ in circle or bicycle
b is /b/ as in bed baby c is /sh/ in appreciate
bb is /b/ as in bubbly d is /d/ as in dog
C softens to /s/ when dd is /d/ as in daddy
bh is /b/ as in Bhutan followed by E, I or Y.
(uncommon) Otherwise, C
says /k/, -ed is /d/ as in moved
bt is /t/ in doubt sc is /s/ in scent -ed is /t/ as in jumped
mb is /m/ in thumb sc is /s/ + /k/ in scare

f g h
2** 2* 1*

g is /g/ as in game
f is /f/ as in fun h is /h/ in hole
g is /j/ as in gem
f is /v/ in of wh are /h/ in whole
g is /zh/ in regime (rare)
(this is irregular)
gg is /g/ as in jiggle
h is often combined in a
gh- is /g/ as in ghost
ff is /f/ as in stuffy number of consonant
gu- is /g/ as in guide
lf is /f/ as in calf sounds, either as a silent
letter - as in ghost - or to
G softens to /j/ when
ph is /f/ as in phone represent a digraph sound -
followed by E, I or Y.
-gh is /f/ as in laugh as in phone or laugh
Otherwise, G says /g/

j l
1* 1

k
1*

j is /j/ as in jar
k is /k/ in kite
j is /zh/ in deja-vu (rare) l is /l/ in little
-ck is /k/ in back
ll is /l/ in silly
yet g -ge & -dge can also -le is /l/ in simple
k is silent in know, knight,
make the /j/ sound
and knot
lf is /f/ in calf and in half
G softens to /j/ when al is /aw/ in walk
c ch & -que can also make
followed by E, I or Y. oul is /short oo/ in would
the /k/ sound
Otherwise, G says /g/. English
words don’t end in J
 2

m
1

n p
1*

n is /n/ in now
m is /m/ in milk n is /ng/ in think p is /p/ in pie
mm is /m/ in summer nn is /n/ in sunny pp is /p/ in puppy
mb is /m/ in thumb kn is /n/ in know
- mn is /m/ in autumn gn is /n/ in gnat
pn is /n/ in pneumonia ph is /f/ in phone
m is always /m/, except in the p is silent in pn- and pt- and
rare mn- is /n/ in mnemonic -mn is /m/ in autumn ps-
-ng is /ng/ in sing

qu- s
1* 1

r
4

s is /s/ in snake
s is /sh/ in sure
s is /zh/ in casual
qu- is /kw/ as in quick r is /r/ in rain
s is /z/ in is
rr is /r/ in hurry
sc is /s/ in scent
whereas, -que is /k/ as in wr is /r/ in write
-se is /s/ in mouse
cheque rh is /r/ in rhyme
ss is /s/ in messy
ps is /s/ in psychiatry
q is always accompanied by
ss is /sh/ in pressure
the “u” and so “u” is not r is always /r/ and r appears
-se is /z/ in choose
considered a vowel in this in controlled-r vowels as in far
c -ce are /s/ in cease &
case.
peace

3 1*

t v
1

w
t is /t/ in talk v is /v/ in van w is /w/ in water
t is /ch/ in future -ve is /v/ in have
t is /sh/ in initiate
-bt is /t/ in doubt f is /v/ in of
(this is irregular) wh are /w/ in whale
tt is /t/ in little wh is /hw/ in while
ti- is /sh/ in nation English words do not end in wh is /h/ in whole
ti- is /t/ + /long i/ in title “v”, which is why there is the wr is /r/ in write
pt is /t/ in pterodactyl “ve” form
 z
1** 2

y
z is /z/ in zoo
(as a consonant)
zz is /z/ in fuzzy
-ze is /z/ in snooze
y is /y/ as in yellow when a
z is /zh/ in seizure
consonant

y often appears in vowel

x is /z/ in xylophone
sounds, which is presented in
s is /z/ in is
a separate card
-se is /z/ in choose

ch sh th
3 1 2*

ch is /ch/ in cheese
sh- is /sh/ in ship, share,
ch is /k/ in chord
ch is /sh/ in chef th is /th/ in this, that, the
s is /sh/ in sugar
ss is /sh/ in pressure
th is always /th/, except in the
ssi is /sh/ in mission
t is /ch/ in future rare th is /t/ in thyme
sci- is /sh/ in conscience
tch is /ch/ in catch
ti- is /sh/ in nation
-tch is only used after a single there are voiced/unvoiced
si- is /sh/ in confusion
vowel that does NOT say its forms
ci- is /sh/ in physician
name of /th/
ch is /sh/ in chef

wh-
wh are /h/ in whole
wh is /w/ in whale
wh is /hw/ in while
 Rime
Cards
(to help make CVC, CVCe and CVVC words)

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 -ack -ake -an
/ a / + /k/ /a/ + /k/ /a/ + /n/

words: back, tack, rack, sack, words: bake, cake, fake, lake words: ban, can, fan, pan, ran
non-words: dack, fack, non-words: zake, yake non-words: zan, yan, quan

-ain -ale -ail

/a/ + /n/ /a/ + /l/ /a/ + /l/
words: pain, rain, train, stain words: bale, pale, kale, sale words: quail, rail, pail, nail
non-words: yain, quain non-words: zale, quale non-words: cail, zail

-ane -at -ate

/a/ + /n/ /a/ + /t/ /a/ + /t/
words: bane, cane, plane words: at, bat, cat, mat, gnat words: date, late, fate, create
non-words: non-words: lat, dat, zat non-words: zate, wate
 -ap -ape -ash
/a/ + /p/ /a/ + /p/ /a/ + /sh/
words: cape, drape, shape,
words: cap, nap, map, trap words: sash, quash, smash
tape
non-words: quap, vap, wap non-words: zash, nash, vash
non-words: quape, zape

-ag -aw -ay

/a/ + /g/ /aw/ /a/
words: bag, lag, nag, wag words: saw, law, paw, claw words: say, play, tray, way
non-words: zag, quag, yag non-words: zaw, vaw, taw non-words: say, tay, vay

-ame -ank -eat

/a/ + /m/ /a/ + /n/ + /k/ /e/ + /t/
words: same, name, fame,
lame words: thank, bank, tank words: seat, wheat, treat, neat
non-words: wame, zame non-words: zank, vank, cank non-words: zeat, veat, yeat
 1

-ell -ed -en

/ e/ + /l/ /e/ + /d/ /e/ + /n/

words: tell, sell, well, bell, yell words: bed, fled, Ted words: hen, Ben, zen, den, pen
non-words: zell, fell, mell non-words: yed, ved non-words: ken, ven, quen

-est -ick -ice

/e/ + /s/ + /t/ / i / + /k/ / i / + /s/
words: best, zest, west, nest words: lick, trick, wick, quick words: mice, twice, lice, nice
non-words: hest, yest non-words: zick, yick non-words: zice, yice

-it -ight -ite

/ i / + /t/ / i / + /t/ / i / + /t/
words: sit, quit, wit, lit, exit words: light, slight, fight, tight words: site, bite, lite, quite
non-words: yit, dit, git non-words: zight, wight non-words: site, hite, twite
 -ip -ill -in
/ i/ + /p/ / i / + /n/
/ i / + /l/
words: sip, lip, flip, hip, zip words: bill, hill, will, quill, trill words: win, fin, bin,
non-words: yip non-words: zill, yill non-words: hin, zin, min

-ine -ink -ig

/ i / + /n/ / i/ + /n/ + /k/
/ i / + /g/
words: mine, twine, line, dine words: sink, think, blink, wink words: big, gig, twig, wig
non-words: zine, nine, bine non-words: zink, yink, hink non-words: vig, yig

-ide -ock -oke

/ i / + /d/ / o / + /k/ / o / + /m/
words: side, wide, slide, hide words: sock, mock, flock, clock words: poke, smoke, yoke
non-words: zide, yide, dide non-words: zock, yock, vock non-words: doke, loke, voke
 -ot -oat -oom
/ o / + /t/ / o / + /t/ /oo/ + /m/

words: hot, bot, lot, not, rot words: moat, boat, words: room, boom, zoom
non-words: yot, zot, vot non-words: zoat, yoat non-words: yoom, toom

-ook -op -og

/oo/ + /k/ /o/ + /p/
/o/ + /n/
words: look, book, took, cook words: pop, top, mop, bop words: dog, log, bog, blog
non-words: yook, zook, vook non-words: zop, yop, vop non-words: zog, yog, vog

-ore -uck -ump

/or/ / u/ + /k/ / u/ + /m/ + /p/
words: core, more, store words: yuck, tuck, luck words: jump, lump, stump
non-words: zore, vore non-words: zuck, vuck non-words: zump, wump
 -ug -un -unk
/ u/ + /g/ /u/ + /n/ / u / + /n/ + /k/
words: hug, bug, tug, lug words: fun, bun, sun, run words: trunk, sunk, bunk
non-words: zug, nug, vug non-words: yun, zun, lun non-words: zunk, yunk

-ut
/ u/ + /t/
words: but, nut, hut, rut, gut
non-words: sut, lut, yut
 Record
Keeping

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 Record Keeping
Teacher(s): Learner(s): Ages:

Date Rime(s) Explored Real Words Explored Non-Words Explored Student-Generated Words

At the end of the cycle, the following graphemes have been explored and mastered:

-ack -ake -an -ane -ain -ale -ail -at -ate -ame -ap -ape -ash -ank -ag -aw -ay

-eat -est -ell -ed -en -ill -ick -ice -ide -it -ight -ite -ip -ig -in -ine -ink

-ock -oke -ot -oat -oom -ook -ore -og -op -ug -ump -un -unk -ut

In the following word structures: CVV CCVV CVC CCVC CVCe CCVCe CVCC CCVCC CVVC CCVVC

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