Phase 4 phonics builds on the phonemes and graphemes children learned during Phases 2 and 3. Rather than introducing a large number of new grapheme-phoneme correspondences, children focus on applying the sounds they already know to read and spell more complex words.
During Phase 4, children learn to read and spell words containing adjacent consonants, such as stop, frog, milk and hand. They also continue developing their blending and segmenting skills and become more confident reading phrases and sentences.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about Phase 4 phonics, including adjacent consonants, consonant clusters, blending, segmenting, Phase 4 words, tricky words and ways to practise phonics at home.
What Is Phase 4 Phonics?
Phase 4 is a stage of systematic phonics teaching that builds on the grapheme-phoneme correspondences children have learned during Phases 2 and 3.
A key focus of Phase 4 is helping children read and spell words containing adjacent consonants.
Adjacent consonants are two or more consonants that appear next to each other in a word. Each consonant represents its own phoneme.
For example:
stop
contains four phonemes:
/s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
The s and t are adjacent consonants, but they each represent a separate phoneme.
Children continue using the graphemes they already know while developing the ability to blend and segment longer and more complex words.
What Are Adjacent Consonants?
Adjacent consonants are consonant sounds that occur next to each other in a word.
For example:
stop → /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
frog → /f/ /r/ /o/ /g/
milk → /m/ /i/ /l/ /k/
hand → /h/ /a/ /n/ /d/
Each consonant represents a separate phoneme.
This is different from a digraph.
In the word ship, the letters sh represent one phoneme:
/sh/ /i/ /p/
In the word stop, the letters s and t represent two separate phonemes:
/s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
Understanding this difference is an important part of Phase 4 phonics.
Consonant Clusters in Phase 4
You may hear the term consonant cluster when talking about words containing adjacent consonants.
A consonant cluster is a group of consonants that appear together in a word.
Examples include:
st – stop
gr – grab
fl – flag
mp – lamp
nd – hand
nt – tent
sk – desk
lt – belt
It is important to remember that the individual consonants in a cluster each represent their own phoneme.
For example:
frog
contains:
/f/ /r/ /o/ /g/
There are four phonemes, even though f and r appear next to each other.
Phase 4 Words
As children become more confident with adjacent consonants, they can begin reading and spelling a wider range of words.
Examples of Phase 4 words include:
- stop
- step
- frog
- flag
- clap
- swim
- drum
- trip
- hand
- sand
- milk
- tent
- jump
- lamp
- best
- nest
- lift
- help
- wind
- pond
Children should practise words containing graphemes they already know so that they can apply their existing phonics knowledge.
Blending in Phase 4
Children continue developing their blending skills during Phase 4.
They need to blend a greater number of phonemes together to read longer words.
For example:
/s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
becomes:
stop
Another example:
/f/ /r/ /o/ /g/
becomes:
frog
Children may initially need to say each phoneme separately before blending the whole word.
With regular practice, they should become increasingly fluent.
Phase 4 Blending Examples
s-t-o-p → stop
f-l-a-g → flag
c-l-a-p → clap
s-w-i-m → swim
m-i-l-k → milk
h-a-n-d → hand
The aim is for children to move towards reading these words smoothly rather than relying on sounding out every word laboriously.
Segmenting in Phase 4
Segmenting remains an important skill for spelling.
Children listen to a word and identify each phoneme before selecting the graphemes needed to represent those sounds.
For example:
frog
can be segmented into:
/f/ /r/ /o/ /g/
The child then writes:
f-r-o-g
Another example:
hand
→ /h/ /a/ /n/ /d/
→ h-a-n-d
Children should be encouraged to listen carefully for every phoneme in a word.
Phase 4 Reading
Phase 4 gives children more opportunities to apply their phonics knowledge to increasingly complex words.
They should be able to use blending to decode words containing adjacent consonants.
For example:
The frog jumps.
The flag is red.
I went to the pond.
The milk is in the cup.
As children read more complex words, they should also continue developing their reading fluency and comprehension.
Phonics provides the tools for decoding the words, while regular reading gives children opportunities to develop their understanding of what they read.
Phase 4 Spelling
Children continue using segmenting to spell words containing adjacent consonants.
For example:
clap
→ /c/ /l/ /a/ /p/
→ c-l-a-p
Or:
tent
→ /t/ /e/ /n/ /t/
→ t-e-n-t
Encourage children to say the whole word, segment it into phonemes and then choose a grapheme for each sound.
Phase 4 Tricky Words
Children continue learning and practising tricky words during Phase 4.
Some commonly taught Phase 4 tricky words include:
said
have
like
so
do
some
come
little
one
were
there
what
when
out
Oh
their
The exact tricky words and teaching sequence can vary between phonics programmes.
Children should continue practising these words alongside their regular phonics work.
[Explore Phase 4 tricky words →]
How to Practise Phase 4 Phonics at Home
There are many simple ways to support Phase 4 phonics at home.
1. Practise adjacent consonants
Choose simple words containing adjacent consonants.
For example:
stop
frog
milk
hand
Ask your child to identify each sound.
2. Practise blending
Encourage your child to blend the phonemes together.
For example:
/s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
→ stop
3. Practise segmenting
Say a word and ask your child to identify all the sounds they can hear.
For example:
flag
→ /f/ /l/ /a/ /g/
4. Build words
Use magnetic letters or phonics cards to build Phase 4 words.
For example:
stop
Then change one part of the word:
stop → step
This encourages children to notice how changing sounds changes words.
5. Sort words
Sort words according to their consonant clusters.
For example:
st → stop, step, stand
fl → flag, flip, flat
gr → grab, grin, grass
6. Read decodable books
Choose books that match the phonics knowledge your child has been taught.
Reading decodable books gives children opportunities to apply their knowledge to connected text.
7. Practise tricky words
Continue practising the tricky words introduced through your child’s phonics programme.
Phase 4 Phonics Activities
Adjacent Consonant Word Building
Use magnetic letters or phonics cards to build words such as:
stop
frog
clap
milk
hand
Sound Buttons
Use sound buttons or dots to help children identify each phoneme in a word.
For example:
s t o p
Each letter represents one phoneme.
Word Sorting
Sort words according to their consonant clusters.
For example:
st, fl, gr, cl, sp, tr
Blending Practice
Write a word and ask children to identify each phoneme before blending it together.
Segmenting Practice
Say a word and ask children to identify each phoneme before writing the word.
Sentence Reading
Create simple sentences containing Phase 4 words.
For example:
The frog is on the grass.
The flag is on the stand.
The milk is in the cup.
Free Phase 4 Phonics Resources
Ready to practise Phase 4 phonics?
Explore our collection of free printable Phase 4 phonics resources designed to help children practise blending, segmenting, adjacent consonants, word reading and spelling.
Phase 4 Flashcards
Practise Phase 4 words and phonics patterns with printable flashcards.
[Explore Phase 4 Flashcards →]
Phase 4 Worksheets
Reinforce blending, segmenting, adjacent consonants and word reading with printable worksheets.
[Explore Phase 4 Worksheets →]
Phase 4 Assessment
Check children’s ability to apply their phonics knowledge when reading and spelling Phase 4 words.
[Explore Phase 4 Assessment Resources →]
When Should Children Move Beyond Phase 4?
Children should progress through phonics at a pace that reflects their individual development and understanding.
Before moving on, children should have plenty of opportunities to practise applying their existing phonics knowledge.
Children working securely at Phase 4 should be developing the ability to:
- recognise and use the graphemes they have learned
- blend phonemes to read words containing adjacent consonants
- segment words containing adjacent consonants
- read and spell a growing range of words
- read appropriate decodable texts
- apply their phonics knowledge when writing
- recognise and read the tricky words they have been taught
Once children are secure with these skills, they can begin learning the additional grapheme-phoneme correspondences and alternative spellings introduced during Phase 5.
What Comes After Phase 4?
After Phase 4, children move on to Phase 5 phonics, where they learn additional graphemes for phonemes they already know and explore alternative pronunciations and spellings.
For example, children begin learning that the phoneme /ai/ can be represented in different ways, such as:
ai – rain
ay – play
a-e – make
Phase 5 therefore expands children’s ability to read and spell a much wider range of words.
Phase 4 Phonics FAQs
What is Phase 4 phonics?
Phase 4 is a stage of systematic phonics teaching where children apply the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they have already learned to read and spell words containing adjacent consonants.
Are new sounds taught in Phase 4?
Phase 4 mainly focuses on applying previously learned graphemes and phonemes rather than introducing a large number of new ones.
What are adjacent consonants?
Adjacent consonants are two or more consonants that appear next to each other in a word, with each consonant representing its own phoneme. For example, st in stop represents /s/ and /t/.
What are consonant clusters?
A consonant cluster is a group of consonants that occur together in a word. Examples include st in stop, fl in flag and gr in grass.
What is the difference between a consonant cluster and a digraph?
In a consonant cluster, each consonant represents its own phoneme. In a digraph, two letters work together to represent one phoneme.
For example:
stop → /s/ /t/ /o/ /p/
ship → /sh/ /i/ /p/
What are Phase 4 words?
Phase 4 words are words that children can decode using the graphemes they have learned and which often contain adjacent consonants. Examples include stop, frog, clap, milk, hand and jump.
How can I help my child with Phase 4 phonics?
Practise blending and segmenting words containing adjacent consonants. Build words with magnetic letters, read decodable books and encourage your child to listen carefully for every phoneme in a word.
What comes after Phase 4 phonics?
Children usually move on to Phase 5, where they learn additional graphemes for phonemes they already know and explore alternative spellings and pronunciations.
Continue Your Phonics Journey
Ready to move on to the next stage?
Or browse our [Free Phonics Resources →] for printable activities, flashcards and worksheets to support phonics practice at home or in the classroom.