Level 5 of 28
Short Vowel Spelling Rules (ff, ll, ss, zz, ck, ng)
Four families of rule govern what comes after a short vowel at the end of a short word. FLOSS — f, l, s and z double: off, bell, miss, jazz. -ck spells /k/ right after a short vowel: duck, back. And -ng and -nk blend the vowel into the nasal: ring, sink.
8 words · tap any word to hear it
In the app · Level 5 · Short Vowel Spelling Rules
-ff/-ll/-ss/-zz off, bell, miss · -ck duck, back · -ng ring, song
Age 4-5
Teaching tip
These are spelling rules, not reading ones. A child reads bell and duck perfectly well; they just write “bel” and “duk” until they meet them. Teach one family at a time rather than all four in a day.
What’s in the app
You're seeing 8 of 56 words
All 56 are in the app. This page is the reference; the app is where a child does the reading — levels 1–3 are free to try.
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Watch the lesson
3 videosThe same words, sounded out on screen. Watch together, then practise the list above.
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