PRIMARY SPELLING & PHONICS • GRADE 2–3 PHONICS • DIGRAPHS • SOUND OF CK = K (/k/) STUDENT WORKSHEET • PAGE 1 OF 2

Student Name:

Date:

Class:

Score:

Cardinal Orthographic Law • The Digraph CK after Short Vowels

In native English words of one syllable, the /k/ sound immediately following a single short vowel is spelled -ck (e.g., back, neck, stick, lock, duck).

16 Core Words: nĕck, dĕck; băck, lăck, blăck, trăck; blŏck, clŏck, lŏck, sŏck; dŭck, lŭck, trŭck; stĭck, brĭck, pĭck.

16 Target Words Sorting by Short Vowel Family • 26px Track

Group the 16 words under their short vowel (ă, ĕ, ĭ, ŏ, ŭ):

Short A [ă]: back, lack, black, track Short E [ĕ]: neck, deck

Short I [ĭ]: stick, brick, pick Short U [ŭ]: duck, luck, truck

Short O [ŏ]: block, clock, lock, sock

Penmanship & Diacritical Marking Studio

Copy the words neatly. Place a breve over each short vowel:

blăck trăck tĭck-tŏck clŏck rĕd brĭck whīte dŭck

Contextual Sentences • Application

Fill each blank with an appropriate -ck word:

1. The ship's captain stood firmly upon the wooden ____________.

2. Turn the iron key in the heavy door ____________.

Wheeler's Orthoepic Rules • The Digraph CK Law

1. 1. The CK Rule: Use -ck to spell /k/ only at the end of a one-syllable word immediately following a single short vowel (neck, back, pick, rock, duck).

2. 2. Contrast with -k and -ke: After a consonant or vowel team, write -k (bark, milk, book). After a long vowel separated by a consonant, write -ke (bake, smoke).

3. 3. The Sound Value ck = k: The letters c and k combine to make a single voiceless velar plosive /k/. The c protects the preceding vowel from lengthening.