Pure sounds: how to say every phonics sound
Last reviewed 29 September 2026 · 7 minute read
When your child learns phonics at school, the teacher says each sound in a special way, called a pure sound. It is a small thing that makes a big difference. This guide explains why, lists the mistakes almost every parent makes at first, and lets you hear every Phase 2 and Phase 3 sound.
What a pure sound is
A pure sound is the sound a letter makes, with nothing added. The letter “m” makes “mmm”, like humming. It does not make “muh” or “em”. The letter “t” makes a short, sharp “t”, like a tiny tap. It does not make “tuh” or “tee”.
Most of us grew up saying “muh” and “tuh”, so it can feel odd at first. It gets easy quickly.
Why it matters for blending
Children read a new word by saying each sound, then blending the sounds together. Pure sounds blend into the word. Sounds with an extra “uh” do not.
Try it. Say “c-a-t” with pure sounds: “c”, “a”, “t”. Now say it faster. It turns into “cat”. Now try “cuh-a-tuh” and say it faster. It turns into “cuh-a-tuh”, which is not a word. Every extra “uh” is a sound your child has to take away before the word appears. Pure sounds remove that step, so blending feels like magic rather than hard work.
Two kinds of sounds
- Stretchy sounds can be held for as long as you like: “sss”, “mmm”, “fff”, “lll”, “shhh”. Hold them for about half a second.
- Bouncy sounds are short and stop straight away: b, d, g, k, p and t. Say them quickly and cut them off. Imagine you are whispering them, and do not add a vowel after them.
Vowels are always the sound, never the letter’s name. “a” is the “a” in “apple”, not “ay”.
The most common mistakes
- Adding “uh”. “buh”, “duh”, “guh”. Keep bouncy sounds short and crisp.
- Using letter names. “see-ay-tee” for “cat”. Letter names come later. For reading, use sounds.
- Saying long vowels for short ones. “a” as “ay”, “i” as “eye”, “o” as “oh”. In early phonics these are the short sounds.
- Adding an “r” sound. In “car”, “fork” and “fur”, most accents in England say no “r”. The sounds are “ar”, “or” and “ur”.
- Splitting a pair. “sh” is one sound, not “s” then “h”. The same goes for ch, th, ng, ai, ee and igh.
- Saying x as one sound. “x” is “ks”, the end of “fox”.
Do not worry if you have been saying “muh” for years. Your child’s teacher will be using pure sounds, and your child will soon correct you.
Every Phase 2 sound
Press a button to hear the sound, recorded as a pure sound. Our guide to the phonics phases explains the phases.
| Sound | Say it like this | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| s, ss | “sss”, a long hiss, not “suh” | |
| a | “a” as in “apple”, short, not “ay” | |
| t | short, with no “uh” after it | |
| p | a short puff of air, with no “uh” | |
| i | “i” as in “ink”, short, not “eye” | |
| n | “nnn”, not “nuh” | |
| m | “mmm”, lips closed, not “muh” | |
| d | short, with no “uh” after it | |
| g | short, as in “gap”, not “guh” | |
| o | “o” as in “on”, short, not “oh” | |
| c, k, ck | short, with no “uh” after it | |
| e | “e” as in “egg” | |
| u | “u” as in “up” | |
| r | “rrr”, a little growl, not “ruh” | |
| h | a soft breath, not “huh” | |
| b | short, with no “uh” after it | |
| f, ff | “fff”, air through the teeth | |
| l, ll | “lll”, tongue up behind the teeth |
Every Phase 3 sound
| Sound | Say it like this | Listen |
|---|---|---|
| j | as in “jam”, short | |
| v | “vvv”, a buzzy f | |
| w | lips rounded, not “wuh” | |
| x | “ks”, the end of “fox” | |
| y | as in “yes”, not “yuh” | |
| z, zz | “zzz”, a buzzy s | |
| qu | “kw”, the start of “quiz” | |
| ch | a short burst, as in “chip” | |
| sh | “shh”, finger on your lips | |
| th | tongue between the teeth | |
| ng | the end of “ring”, no hard g | |
| nk | the end of “pink” | |
| ai | as in “rain” | |
| ee | as in “feet” | |
| igh | as in “night” | |
| oa | as in “boat” | |
| oo | long, as in “zoo” | |
| oo | short, as in “book” | |
| ar | as in “car”, no “r” | |
| or | as in “fork”, no “r” | |
| ur | as in “fur”, no “r” | |
| ow | as in “cow” | |
| oi | as in “coin” | |
| ear | as in “dear”, no “r” | |
| air | as in “fair”, no “r” | |
| er | as in “ladder”, short and relaxed |
“th” can be soft, as in “thin”, or buzzy, as in “this”. Both are fine.
Games that practise pure sounds
- Robot talk. Say a word one pure sound at a time. Your child says the word.
- Stretch and bounce. Take turns saying a sound. Your child says whether it is stretchy or bouncy.
- Sound spotting. Say three words and ask which one starts with “mmm”.
There are more ideas in our guide to helping your child with phonics at home.
What Xenly does, and what it doesn’t
Every sound in Xenly is a pure sound. When your child plays on their own, Xenly plays alien words sound by sound, with a short gap between each one, exactly how phonics is taught. Our starting sounds were made with a computer voice and are being checked and re-recorded by a teacher, one by one.
Xenly does not listen to your child. When you read together, you are the one listening, and you tap any sound that needed a second go. See how Xenly works.
Questions parents ask
My accent is different. Does that matter?
No. Say the sounds in your own accent. Children learn to read in the accent they speak.
Should I correct my child’s letter names?
Gently, when you are reading. They will need letter names later for spelling, so both are useful. For reading, sounds come first.
Why are some sounds written with two letters?
English has more sounds than letters, so some sounds need two or three letters, like “sh” or “igh”.
How do I say “er”?
As a short, relaxed sound, like the end of “ladder” or “sister”. Press its button in the table to hear it.
What if my child adds “uh” too?
Say the sound back to them purely, and let them copy you. Short daily practice fixes it.