lesson
Updated 6 days ago Β· 2 views
Have you ever wondered why cat ends with one letter, but buzz ends with two?
There is a secret spelling trick that tells you exactly when to make letters into twins at the end of a word.
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How do we know when a word needs these twin letters at the end?
The FLoSS Rule
We use the FLOSS rule whenever a one-syllable word has one short vowel and ends with the sound /f/, /l/, /s/, or /z/.
A short vowel is a quick sound like the a in hat, e in bed, i in sit, o in fox, or u in cup.
To easily remember the four letters, use Mnemonic Reminders like the word FLOSS itself (plus Z), or the phrase Sammy Loves Friendly Zebras.
Before doubling, follow these three Prerequisite Condition Checks:
- Is it a one-syllable word?
- Does it have a short vowel sound?
- Does it end right after the vowel in /f/, /l/, /s/, or /z/?
If the word passes all three checks, double the final consonant!
Helpful Mnemonic Reminders make these letters easy to remember: the word FLOSS contains F, L, and S (just add Z), or you can remember the phrase Sammy Loves Friendly Zebras.
Always test the word with these 3-step Prerequisite Condition Checks:
- Is it a one-syllable word?
- Does it have a short vowel sound?
- Does it end right after the vowel in /f/, /l/, /s/, or /z/?
If you answer yes to all three, double the final consonant!
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