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Original poster

Stupid synthetic phonics question- ure?

11 replies

Pozzled · 09/04/2013 21:43

I really should know this... Blush

Looking at synthetic phonics programmes, 'ure' seems to be taught as an individual phoneme, but I don't know how to pronounce it! Is it just my accent? I pronounce 'sure' in the same way as 'shore' and in 'measure/treasure' the 'ure' is the same as 'er' in 'teacher'.

Can someone tell me a word where it has a clear, different pronounciation, or can I teach it to my DD as being similar to er/ur/ir?

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Periwinkle007 · 09/04/2013 21:49

can't really help but I just taught it to my daughter as we came across it so mostly as er and then did sure as an odd one. Sure used to be on the key words I think because it was an exception but I am sure they have now made a phonic rule for it.

simpson · 09/04/2013 21:56

Pure, cure...DD covered this the other week but don't know how. I just remember her rambling on talking about it.

Original poster
Pozzled · 09/04/2013 22:06

Ok, so in 'cure' and 'pure' the 'ure' makes 'yer'- two distinct phonemes, in the same way as x or qu. I thought it was supposed to make one sound, but maybe I have misunderstood.

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Feenie · 09/04/2013 22:12

It's a funny one - and contentious in synthetic phonics camps too. Some would prefer it to be taught as a split diagraph (u_e) rather than as a separate phoneme. It varies from region to region due to pronunciation, doesn't it?

simpson · 09/04/2013 22:44

Well the one that is confusing me ATM is station, reception etc so tion makes a shun sound....

Feenie · 09/04/2013 23:16

When doesn't 'tion' say 'shun', simpson?

simpson · 09/04/2013 23:21

It never does as far as I know but have never seen it on any phonics sheet/info iyswim.

I am guessing that this is how it's taught. Or if it is taught. DD is in reception and I would have thought it would be a fairly common sound but it has not been touched on.

As I am not a teacher I am just used to phonics giving one sound (igh is I for example).

But I guess it's just common sense really.

Feenie · 09/04/2013 23:36

Here

See page 8 for /sh/ as 'ti' and page 4 for /u/ as 'o' (as in 'son').

simpson · 09/04/2013 23:54

Thanks that is really helpful Smile

Mashabell · 10/04/2013 10:36

The sound of -ure depends on whether it is stressed (sure, cure, endure, mature) or not (injure, pressure, pleasure, nature).

This difference would be much clearer if unstressed -ure endings were spelt -ur (injur - insure).

Most of the useless -e endings (olde, worlde, worde) which were added by printers in the 16th century were dropped in the 17th.

Sadly, too many are still with us and make young children's lives much harder than need be.

English spelling could do with another modernisation - one that tries to reduce the learning difficulties which its inconsistencies pose for learners.

Masha Bell

Original poster
Pozzled · 10/04/2013 13:08

Thanks all. I'm relieved to see that I'm notmissing something obvious.

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