English Graphemes: A Comprehensive User Guide.

A grapheme is a single letter or a group of letters that represents a single phoneme (speech sound). Research spanning decades has established that understanding graphemes is crucial for learning how to read and spell in English.

Knowledge of graphemes, also called letter-sound knowledge, is a critical skill in learning to read. This is because understanding graphemes helps children to decode words and thus teach themselves new words when reading. Difficulty with developing grapheme knowledge is common in students with reading difficulties.

For teachers of English, having an in-depth knowledge of graphemes, including the ability to pronounce them correctly, is essential. It enables them to teach grapheme knowledge in a clear and logical manner.

This guide provides an overview of the different types of graphemes in Australian English. The graphemes are presented in the same order that they are taught in ReadingDoctor Online.

Click 'Begin Grapheme Tour' to view a comprehensive guide to the main graphemes in Australian English, or select a button below to jump to a specific section.

BEGIN GRAPHEME TOUR

PART I - BASIC CODE

Single Letter Graphemes

Single letter graphemes are single letters that represent individual phonemes in written language. Click on a grapheme for more information!

1

s (like in snake)

a (like in apple)

t (like in tap)

p (like in pan)

i (like in insect)

n (like in nose)

e (like in egg)

2

c (like in cat)

h (like in house)

o (like in orange)

r (like in road)

d (like in dog)

l (like in ladder)

u (like in umbrella)

3

b (like in bed)

m (like in mouth)

w (like in worm)

f (like in fan)

g (like in girl)

k (like in king)

4

x (like in box) *

y (like in yo-yo)

z (like in zip)

v (like in vase)

j (like in jug)

Long Vowels

Long vowel sounds typically have a longer duration (when you say them) compared with short vowel sounds. Click on a grapheme for more information!

long a (like in ape)

long e (like in emu)

long i (like ice-cream)

long o (like in open)

long u (like in unicorn)

PART II - INTERMEDIATE CODE

Consonant Teams - Most Common

Consonant teams are graphemes that consist of two or more letters representing a single consonant phoneme. Click on a grapheme for more information!

1

ch (like in cheese)

ck (like in kick)

ng (like in wing)

qu (like in queen) *

2

sh (like in ship)

tch (like in catch)

th (like in mouth)

wh (like in white)

Vowel Teams - Most Common

Vowel teams are graphemes that consist of two or more letters representing a single consonant phoneme. Click on a grapheme for more information!

1

ee (like in see)

ea¹ (like in sea)

oo¹ (like in spoon)

aw (like in paw)

3

oi (like in coin)

oy (like in boy)

ou (like in around)

ow¹ (like in owl)

2

ai (like in rain)

ay (like in play)

igh (like in light)

oa (like in boat)

r-Controlled Vowels (Most Common)

Graphemes that represent a vowel phoneme and also contain a letter “r” are called r-controlled vowels. Click on a grapheme for more information!

er (like in her)

ir (like in bird)

or (like in fork)

ar (like in car)

ur (like in turn)

PART III - ADVANCED CODE

Consonant Teams (Less Common)

(Coming soon!)

kn (like in knife)

ph (like in phone)

wr (like in write)

c² (like in city, cent and cycle)

g² (like in giraffe, gem and gym)

-ge (like in cage)

-dge (like in bridge)

gn (like gnome)

Vowel Teams (Less Common)

(Coming soon!)

oo² (like in book)

ie¹ (like in babies)

au (like in caught)

ew (like in chew)

ue¹ (like in blue)

ui (like in suit)

ow² (like in blow)

ie² (like in pie)

ue² (like in argue)

oe (like in toe)

eigh (like in eight)

r-Controlled Vowels (Less Common)

(Coming soon!)

oor (like in door)

oar (like in roar)

ore (like in shore)

-are (like in share)

air (like in chair)

ear¹ (like in earth)

ear² (like in hear)

* asterisked letter patterns are technically not graphemes as they represent multiple phonemes

BEGIN GRAPHEME TOUR