Unit 5: Spelling the consonant digraphs, Part 2
Page 9 of 11
The /f/ sound is usually spelled with the letter f, or ff if after a short vowel - this is covered in Unit 4. |
In some words, the /f/ sound is spelled using the digraph ph. |
These are often words from the ancient Greek language. Many share the same root word.
Greek Word | Meaning | Examples |
photo | light | photograph photocopy photosynthesis (the process by which plants absorb light) |
graph | writing | photograph paragraph autograph biography geography |
phonos | sound | headphones earphones telephone microphone saxophone phonics (speech sounds) |
sphere | ball | spherical atmosphere stratosphere |
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Remember these ph words by grouping them together in topic sets:
Words to do with writing: | alphabet
apostrophe hyphen phrase pamphlet |
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Medical words: | physician
pharmacy pharmacist physics physical |
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Animals: | elephant dolphin |
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People, characters: | phantom
nephew prophet orphan Pharaoh |
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Abstract nouns e.g. feelings: |
triumph
phenomenon catastrophe emphasis phobia |
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Other ph words:
trophy | siphon (or syphon) | typhoon | Joseph | Sophie |
Ralph | Christopher | Rudolph | Philip |
You have not completed Learn the Words activities for each word list on this page.
The Spellzone interactive course is intended to be used online and may not be printed.
"Spellzone is incredibly easy to access and caters for a wide range of abilities, which means you can use it throughout the school at a range of levels, making it fantastic value for money as a learning resource."
Anne Shisler, SENCO, City of London School for Girls