Phase 5 phonics builds on the knowledge children developed during Phases 2, 3 and 4. At this stage, children learn that the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes and that some graphemes can represent more than one phoneme.
For example, children may already know that the phoneme /ai/ can be represented by ai in rain. During Phase 5, they learn other ways of representing the same sound, such as ay in play and a-e in make.
Children also learn alternative pronunciations for some graphemes. For example, ow represents /ow/ in cow, but can represent /oa/ in snow.
Phase 5 therefore helps children become more flexible and confident readers and spellers.
On this page, you’ll find everything you need to know about Phase 5 phonics, including alternative spellings, alternative pronunciations, split digraphs, blending, segmenting, Phase 5 words and ways to practise phonics at home.
What Is Phase 5 Phonics?
Phase 5 is a stage of systematic phonics teaching where children expand their knowledge of grapheme-phoneme correspondences.
Children learn that:
- the same phoneme can be represented by different graphemes
- the same grapheme can represent different phonemes
- some words contain alternative spellings that need to be recognised
- some graphemes have alternative pronunciations
For example, children may know:
/ai/ → ai → rain
During Phase 5, they learn:
/ai/ → ay → play
/ai/ → a-e → make
This gives children more tools for decoding unfamiliar words and spelling words accurately.
Alternative Spellings in Phase 5
One of the most important parts of Phase 5 is learning that a phoneme can be represented by different graphemes.
For example, the phoneme /ee/ can be represented in several ways:
ee – sheep
ea – beach
e – he
e-e – these
Children gradually learn to recognise these different spellings when reading and choose appropriate graphemes when spelling.
Examples of Alternative Spellings
| Phoneme | Grapheme | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /ai/ | ai | rain |
| /ai/ | ay | play |
| /ai/ | a-e | make |
| /ee/ | ee | green |
| /ee/ | ea | beach |
| /ee/ | e | he |
| /oa/ | oa | boat |
| /oa/ | ow | snow |
| /oa/ | o-e | home |
| /igh/ | igh | night |
| /igh/ | i-e | time |
| /igh/ | y | my |
| /oo/ | oo | moon |
| /oo/ | u-e | tune |
| /oo/ | ew | grew |
The exact graphemes taught and their sequence can vary between phonics programmes.
What Are Split Digraphs?
A split digraph is a digraph in which the two letters are separated by another letter.
Split digraphs are often introduced during Phase 5.
For example:
a-e → make
The a and e work together to represent the phoneme /ai/, even though another letter comes between them.
Common split digraphs include:
a-e – make
e-e – these
i-e – time
o-e – home
u-e – cube
Children need to recognise these patterns when reading and use them when spelling.
[Learn more about split digraphs →]
Alternative Pronunciations in Phase 5
Children also learn that some graphemes can represent different phonemes.
For example:
ow can represent /ow/ in cow
but:
ow can represent /oa/ in snow
Another example is:
ea
which can represent /ee/ in team
but can represent /e/ in bread.
Children need to use the letters around a grapheme and the context of the word to determine which pronunciation is appropriate.
Examples of Alternative Pronunciations
| Grapheme | Pronunciation | Example |
| ow | /ow/ | cow |
| ow | /oa/ | snow |
| ea | /ee/ | team |
| ea | /e/ | bread |
| a | /a/ | cat |
| a | /ai/ | paper |
| i | /i/ | fish |
| i | /igh/ | find |
| o | /o/ | hot |
| o | /oa/ | open |
| u | /u/ | sun |
| u | /yoo/ | music |
Children become increasingly skilled at recognising which pronunciation makes sense in a particular word.
Phase 5 Graphemes
During Phase 5, children learn a range of additional graphemes.
These can include alternative spellings for phonemes they already know, as well as graphemes with alternative pronunciations.
Examples include:
ay
ou
ie
ea
oy
ir
ue
aw
wh
ph
ew
oe
au
a-e
e-e
i-e
o-e
u-e
The exact order and content can vary between phonics programmes.
Rather than learning these patterns as isolated lists, children should be given opportunities to see and use them in real words and sentences.
Phase 5 Words
As children’s phonics knowledge develops, they can read and spell a much wider range of words.
Examples include:
- play
- day
- rain
- train
- beach
- dream
- home
- snow
- light
- night
- time
- these
- cube
- house
- cloud
- coin
- boy
- bird
- shirt
- saw
- claw
- blue
- true
Children should practise reading words containing the graphemes they have been taught.
Blending in Phase 5
Blending remains an essential reading skill during Phase 5.
Children apply their growing knowledge of alternative graphemes to decode unfamiliar words.
For example:
pl-ay
can be blended to read:
play
Or:
h-ou-se
can be blended to read:
house
Children should gradually become more fluent at recognising familiar grapheme patterns and blending words efficiently.
The aim is for children to become increasingly automatic and confident when reading.
Segmenting in Phase 5
Segmenting continues to support spelling.
Children need to listen carefully to the phonemes in a word and then select the appropriate graphemes.
For example:
play
can be segmented into:
/p/ /l/ /ai/
and represented as:
p-l-ay
Another example is:
home
→ /h/ /oa/ /m/
→ h-o-e-m-e
When spelling, children need to learn that the same phoneme can often be represented by more than one grapheme.
This means they need to make increasingly accurate choices about which spelling to use.
Reading in Phase 5
Phase 5 helps children become increasingly confident at reading unfamiliar words.
Instead of relying on memorising every word, children can use their knowledge of graphemes and phonemes to decode new words.
For example, if a child sees an unfamiliar word containing ay, they can use their knowledge of this grapheme to help work out the pronunciation.
As children encounter more alternative spellings and pronunciations, they become increasingly flexible readers.
Alongside decoding, children should continue developing:
- reading fluency
- vocabulary
- comprehension
- expression
- confidence
Phonics provides an important foundation for reading, but children also need regular opportunities to read a wide variety of texts.
Spelling in Phase 5
Spelling becomes increasingly complex during Phase 5 because children have more than one possible grapheme to choose from.
For example, the /ai/ sound can be represented in several ways:
rain
play
make
Children need to develop an understanding of spelling patterns and begin making appropriate choices based on the words they are writing.
It is important to remember that phonics does not always provide enough information to determine the correct spelling of every word. Children also need opportunities to develop their vocabulary, spelling knowledge and knowledge of common spelling patterns.
Phase 5 Tricky Words
Children continue learning tricky words during Phase 5.
Some commonly taught Phase 5 tricky words include:
oh
their
people
Mr
Mrs
looked
called
asked
could
would
should
because
The exact words and sequence can vary between phonics programmes.
Children should practise these words regularly while continuing to apply their phonics knowledge wherever possible.
[Explore Phase 5 tricky words →]
How to Practise Phase 5 Phonics at Home
Phase 5 can feel more complicated because children are learning that sounds can be represented in several different ways.
Regular, short practice can help children become more confident.
1. Practise alternative spellings
Choose one phoneme and explore the different graphemes that can represent it.
For example:
/ai/
ai – rain
ay – play
a-e – make
2. Practise split digraphs
Read and build words containing:
a-e
e-e
i-e
o-e
u-e
For example:
make
these
time
home
cube
3. Practise alternative pronunciations
Show your child a grapheme such as ow and explore words with different pronunciations.
cow
snow
Encourage your child to read the whole word rather than guessing the pronunciation from the grapheme alone.
4. Read Phase 5 words
Use flashcards or word lists containing the graphemes your child has learned.
5. Practise spelling
Say a word and ask your child to segment it before choosing the graphemes.
For example:
train
→ /t/ /r/ /ai/ /n/
→ t-r-ai-n
6. Read decodable books
Choose books that match your child’s current phonics knowledge.
This gives children opportunities to apply Phase 5 phonics in connected text.
7. Encourage reading for pleasure
As children become more confident decoders, encourage them to read a wide range of books and texts.
Reading regularly helps children develop vocabulary, fluency, comprehension and a love of reading.
Phase 5 Phonics Activities
Alternative Spelling Sort
Give children words and ask them to sort them according to the grapheme representing a particular phoneme.
For example:
ai → rain, train
ay → play, day
a-e → make, cake
Split Digraph Word Building
Use magnetic letters to build words such as:
make
these
time
home
cube
Alternative Pronunciation Sorting
Sort words according to the pronunciation of a grapheme.
For example:
ow – /ow/ → cow, how
ow – /oa/ → snow, grow
Phoneme Spotting
Ask children to find a particular phoneme or grapheme in words.
For example:
Find the words containing /ai/.
Word Reading
Use Phase 5 word cards to practise decoding and reading words fluently.
Spelling Practice
Say a word and ask children to segment it before writing it.
Sentence Reading
Create sentences containing Phase 5 words.
For example:
The boy played in the rain.
The snow is falling.
I made a cake.
Free Phase 5 Phonics Resources
Ready to practise Phase 5 phonics?
Explore our collection of free printable Phase 5 phonics resources designed to help children practise alternative spellings, split digraphs, alternative pronunciations, blending, segmenting and word reading.
Phase 5 Flashcards
Practise Phase 5 graphemes, alternative spellings and split digraphs with printable phonics flashcards.
[Explore Phase 5 Flashcards →]
Phase 5 Worksheets
Reinforce alternative spellings, alternative pronunciations, split digraphs, blending and segmenting with printable worksheets.
[Explore Phase 5 Worksheets →]
Phase 5 Assessment
Check children’s understanding of Phase 5 graphemes and their ability to apply their phonics knowledge when reading and spelling.
[Explore Phase 5 Assessment Resources →]
When Should Children Move Beyond Phase 5?
Children should progress through phonics at a pace that reflects their individual learning and understanding.
Before moving on, children should have plenty of opportunities to practise and apply the grapheme-phoneme correspondences they have been taught.
Children working securely at Phase 5 should be developing the ability to:
- recognise a growing range of graphemes
- recognise alternative spellings for familiar phonemes
- recognise alternative pronunciations of familiar graphemes
- read unfamiliar words using phonics
- blend increasingly complex words
- segment words for spelling
- read and spell a growing range of words
- read appropriate decodable texts with increasing fluency
- recognise and read the tricky words they have been taught
- apply their phonics knowledge when writing
Children should continue practising Phase 5 knowledge rather than simply moving on because they have reached a particular point in the school year.
What Comes After Phase 5?
After Phase 5, children continue developing their reading and spelling skills during Phase 6.
Phase 6 focuses increasingly on spelling, including common spelling patterns, prefixes, suffixes, verb endings and other aspects of word structure.
Children continue using their phonics knowledge while developing greater independence and accuracy in reading and writing.
Phase 5 Phonics FAQs
What is Phase 5 phonics?
Phase 5 is a stage of systematic phonics teaching where children learn alternative graphemes for phonemes they already know and alternative pronunciations for some graphemes.
What are alternative spellings?
Alternative spellings are different graphemes that can represent the same phoneme. For example, the phoneme /ai/ can be represented by ai in rain, ay in play and a-e in make.
What are alternative pronunciations?
Alternative pronunciations occur when the same grapheme can represent different phonemes. For example, ow represents /ow/ in cow but /oa/ in snow.
What are split digraphs?
Split digraphs are two letters that work together to represent one phoneme but are separated by another letter. Examples include a-e in make, i-e in time and o-e in home.
What are Phase 5 words?
Phase 5 words are words that children can read and spell using the graphemes they have learned. Examples include play, rain, home, light, house, bird and blue.
How can I help my child with Phase 5 phonics?
Practise alternative spellings, split digraphs and alternative pronunciations. Encourage your child to blend unfamiliar words and read books that match their phonics knowledge.
Why is Phase 5 phonics important?
Phase 5 helps children become more flexible and confident readers and spellers by teaching them that phonemes can be represented in different ways and that some graphemes can have different pronunciations.
What comes after Phase 5 phonics?
Children usually continue to Phase 6, where they develop their spelling knowledge and explore prefixes, suffixes, word endings and common spelling patterns while continuing to apply their phonics knowledge.
Continue Your Phonics Journey
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Or browse our [Free Phonics Resources →] for printable activities, flashcards and worksheets to support phonics practice at home or in the classroom.