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Phonics - Phonemes (Consonant)
Do you know the sound for each letter of the alphabet?

Phonics - Phonemes (Consonant)

Consonant phonemes are strong, clear sounds around vowels. Hearing them at the start, middle and end of words helps children blend, break apart and read with confidence.

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Fascinating Fact:

Phonemes for bouncy consonants like /b/ /p/ /d/ pop out quickly, helping children tap out bag, pad and pet.

In KS1 English Phonics, children learn that consonant phonemes are the crisp sounds that frame vowel sounds in words. Clearly identifying these sounds helps them blend for reading and segment for spelling.

  • Phoneme: The smallest unit of sound in a word, such as /b/ or /t/.
  • Consonant phoneme: A sound made with lips, teeth or tongue blocking airflow, like /p/ /d/ /s/.
  • Segmenting: Splitting a word into its phonemes to help with spelling, like /b/ /a/ /g/.
What are consonant phonemes in KS1 phonics?

Consonant phonemes are quick sounds like /b/ /p/ /t/ /k/ made with some blockage of air. Children learn to hear them at the beginning, middle and end of words.

How do I help children hear consonant sounds clearly?

Say words slowly without adding extra vowel sounds, play tap-the-sound games, and ask children to match pictures or letters to the first or last consonant phoneme.

Why are consonant phonemes important for early reading and spelling?

Knowing consonant phonemes helps children blend sounds to read new words and segment sounds to spell. It builds strong foundations for fluent reading and accurate writing.

1 .
How many consonant phonemes in this word: 'father'?
1
2
3
4
The consonant phonemes are 'f' and 'th'.
2 .
How many consonant phonemes in this word: 'bank'?
1
2
3
4
There is the sound 'b' an 'nk' - the 'a' sound is a vowel phoneme.
3 .
How many consonant phonemes in this word: 'hammer'?
1
2
3
4
The consonant phonemes are 'h' and 'mm'. 'er' - is a two letter sound (digraph) and has a vowel in it.
4 .
How many consonant phonemes in these words: 'little dog'?
1
2
3
4
The sounds are 'l', 'tt', 'd' and 'g'. In the word 'little' there is a sound 'le', which sounds like 'all'.
5 .
How many consonant phonemes in this word: 'ox'
1
2
3
4
The first letter of this word is a vowel, so the consonant phoneme/sound is 'x'.
6 .
Which two letters make a consonant phoneme in the word 'shoes'?
sh
ho
oe
es
'Sh' is two separate letters, s and h but when put together they always make the 'sh' sound.
7 .
Which of these sounds is a consonant phoneme?
b
ai
ee
ou
A consonant phoneme is a sound that has one or two consonants, so no vowels.
8 .
Which of these answers is not a consonant phoneme?
g
r
ea
p
Each letter makes one sound. There are 24 sounds that are made by consonants and they all need remembering to help you read words.
9 .
Which letters are consonant phonemes in the word: 'raining'?
r, n and ng
r, ai and n
r, n and g
r, ai, ng
'ng' is quite hard to say as a single sound but when it's in a word it's much easier.
10 .
Which answer is not a consonant phoneme?
ch
th
ng
aw
Each of these answer is a sound and they all have two letters but make just the one sound. You wouldn't say 'c' and 'h' - you would say 'ch'.
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Graphemes

Author:  Finola Waller (MEd, Primary School Teacher & KS1 English Quiz Writer)

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