English // Phonics & Word Reading
Diphthongs and complex vowels
Read and spell words containing diphthongs and complex vowel patterns (ow, ou, ew, ue, ie, aw, au) and words ending in -y as a vowel sound
Quick check
Can the learner read words like 'town', 'cloud', 'flew', 'claw', or 'pie' — spotting the special vowel combinations and saying the right sound for each one?
Ask this to see whether the topic is secure.
Topic // Mastery
What mastery looks like
What a learner can do once this topic is secure.
- Read words with variable vowel sounds (e.g. 'ow' in 'cow' vs 'snow')
- Decode words with diphthongs (e.g. 'cloud', 'blue', 'pie')
- Read words ending in -y pronounced as /ee/ or /igh/ (e.g. 'happy', 'my')
Topic // Map
Where this fits
What to learn first and what this topic opens up, with the reason for each link. Required links come first.
- RequiredMust come first
- HelpfulHelps, but not essential
Before this
1 topic- Vowel DigraphsHelpful
Phonics & Word Reading // Ages 4 to 7
Related vowel knowledge supports diphthongs
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Diphthongs and complex vowels
Ages 5 to 6 // Method
Leads to
0 topicsNothing in the catalogue builds on this topic yet. Browse Phonics & Word Reading
Topic // Standards
Curriculum standards
Codes for the curriculum statements this topic maps to. Each publisher owns its standard text.
- The national curriculum in England: Key stages 1 and 2 framework document
- Eng_App1_Y1_34Eng_App1_Y1_35Eng_App1_Y1_36Eng_App1_Y1_37Eng_App1_Y1_38Eng_App1_Y1_39Eng_App1_Y1_40Eng_App1_Y1_44Eng_App1_Y1_45Eng_App1_Y1_50
English // Phonics & Word Reading
More in Phonics & Word Reading
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