WHEELER'S ELEMENTARY SPELLER
GRADES 2–3 PHONICS • WORD BUILDING • SHORT U & SHORT O SYNTHESIS
STUDENT WORKSHEET
Phonics & Spelling Rules to Remember (Word Building)
Rule 1 • FLOSS Rule (-ff)
After a short vowel in a one-syllable word, the final /f/ is doubled: pŭff, cŭff, blŭff, snŭff.
Rule 2 • -ck Digraph
Directly after a short vowel, use -ck for the /k/ sound: dŭck, trŭck, lŏck, clŏck.
Rule 3 • ŭ vs. ŏ Contrast
Notice minimal pairs: dŭck (short ŭ) vs. dŏck (short ŏ); lŭck vs. lŏck; stŭck vs. stŏck.