42 Sounds of Jolly Phonics: Full List, 7 Groups and How to Say Each Sound
The 42 sounds of Jolly Phonics are the main sounds of spoken English, taught to children in 7 groups of six. Group 1 is s, a, t, i, p, n, and the list ends with Group 7: qu, ou, oi, ue, er, ar. Some sounds use one letter (/s/, /a/) and some use two letters that make one sound (/sh/, /ai/). Children learn each sound with a story, an action and a song, then use the sounds to read and spell words.
This page gives you the complete list with example words, explains how to say every sound correctly, and shows which sounds children in India and the Gulf most often find difficult. It's part of our complete guide to Jolly Phonics.
Why 42 Sounds When English Has 26 Letters?
English has 26 letters but around 42 main sounds. A single letter cannot cover every sound, so some sounds are written with two letters. These are called digraphs: sh in ship, ai in rain, th in thin.
Jolly Phonics teaches the sounds, not the letter names. Letter names ("bee", "see", "dee") do not help a child read. Sounds do: /b/ /a/ /t/ blends into bat.
The Complete Jolly Phonics Sounds List (7 Groups)
s, a, t, i, p, n
sun, ant, tap, ink, pan, net
c k, e, h, r, m, d
cat, kit, egg, hat, red, map, dog
g, o, u, l, f, b
gum, on, up, leg, fan, bed
ai, j, oa, ie, ee, or
rain, jam, boat, tie, feet, fork
z, w, ng, v, oo (long), oo (short)
zip, wet, ring, van, moon, book
y, x, ch, sh, th (voiced), th (unvoiced)
yes, box, chin, ship, this, thin
qu, ou, oi, ue, er, ar
queen, out, coin, cue, her, car
Two sounds appear twice. oo has a long sound (moon) and a short sound (book). th has a voiced sound (this, where your throat buzzes) and an unvoiced sound (thin, just air). Counted separately, the groups add up to 42.
c and k make the same sound. They are taught together as one sound in Group 2.
Why the Sounds Are Taught in This Order
The order is designed so that children can read real words as early as possible.
- After Group 1 alone, a child can read sat, pin, tap, nap, tin, pit, ant.
- After Group 2, words like red, hen, cat, mad open up.
- By Group 3, children can read many three-letter words and start short sentences.
Letters that look alike, such as b and d, are placed in different groups. This reduces the common "b–d confusion".
Children usually learn one new sound a day, so the 42 sounds are covered in roughly nine weeks of school days, with blending practice from the first week. Revision continues long after. Blending itself is one of the 5 skills of Jolly Phonics that turns this sound knowledge into reading.
How to Say Each Sound Correctly
Saying sounds correctly is the most important thing parents and teachers can get right. Most blending problems start here.
Rule 1: Say pure sounds, with no "uh"
Say /s/ as a hiss, "sss", not "suh". Say /m/ as "mmm", not "muh". Adding "uh" to consonants turns sat into "suh-a-tuh", which children cannot blend into a word.
Rule 2: Stretch the sounds that can be stretched
Some sounds can be held: /s/, /m/, /n/, /f/, /l/, /v/, /z/, /sh/. Stretch them ("sssun") to help children blend.
Rule 3: Keep bouncy sounds short
Other sounds cannot be held: /t/, /p/, /k/, /b/, /d/, /g/. Say them quickly and lightly: a short /t/, not "tuh".
Rule 4: Use the action
Each sound has an action (for /s/, weaving your hand like a snake). The action is a memory trigger. Children who do the action remember the sound faster. See more examples in our guide to Jolly Phonics songs and actions.
Sounds Children in India and the Gulf Often Find Difficult
Children learn English sounds partly through the sounds of their home language. When a sound doesn't exist at home, children tend to replace it with the closest one they know. Knowing this helps you correct early, before it becomes a spelling habit.
v and w (Group 5)
Often merged into one sound, so vet and wet sound the same
For /v/, top teeth gently on the bottom lip. For /w/, round the lips like blowing out a candle
th, voiced & unvoiced (Group 6)
Often said as /t/ or /d/, so thin becomes "tin"
Tongue tip slightly between the teeth, then blow air (thin) or add voice (this)
z (Group 5)
Sometimes said as /j/, so zip becomes "jip"
A buzzing /s/: keep the tongue in the /s/ position and add voice, like a bee
p and b (Groups 1, 3)
Children who speak Arabic at home may mix them, since Arabic has no /p/ sound
/p/ is a puff of air with no voice. /b/ has voice
f and v (Groups 3, 5)
Arabic has no /v/, so van may become "fan"
Same mouth position; /f/ is air only, /v/ adds a buzz
Short vowels a, e, i, o, u
The difference between pin, pen and pan is hard to hear at first
Practise pairs of words that differ by one vowel
These are general patterns, not rules about every child. A good phonics teacher listens to each child individually and corrects early.
How to Practise the 42 Sounds at Home
- One sound, three objects. Choose a sound and find three things at home that start with it.
- Sound, then action. Say a sound and ask your child to do the action, or do the action and ask for the sound.
- Quick-fire revision. Show sound cards for two minutes a day, mixing old and new sounds.
- Blend straight away. As soon as your child knows s, a, t, blend sat. Knowing sounds without blending them does not lead to reading.
- Write the sound. Say a sound and have your child write the letter(s). This is the start of spelling.
Keep practice short, about 10–15 minutes a day, and stop while your child is still enjoying it.
What Comes After the 42 Sounds?
Knowing the 42 sounds is the first step. Children then need to:
- Blend and segment fluently. These are two of the five core skills of Jolly Phonics.
- Learn tricky words. Common words such as the, was and said don't fully follow the sounds. See the full Jolly Phonics tricky words list.
- Learn alternative spellings. The /ai/ sound can also be written ay (play) or a-e (cake). See the full Jolly Phonics alternative spellings list.
Older children who already read but still spell by guessing often need advanced phonics classes, which build on these same sounds.
Learn the 42 Sounds With a Teacher
At Jolly Phonics Online, children learn all 42 sounds in small live online groups, with individual correction on every sound. See our online Jolly Phonics classes.
Teachers and parents who want to teach the sounds themselves can join our Jolly Phonics teacher training course, where correct pronunciation of each sound is practised live.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the 42 sounds of Jolly Phonics? +
They are s, a, t, i, p, n / c k, e, h, r, m, d / g, o, u, l, f, b / ai, j, oa, ie, ee, or / z, w, ng, v, long oo, short oo / y, x, ch, sh, voiced th, unvoiced th / qu, ou, oi, ue, er, ar.
How many groups are there in Jolly Phonics? +
There are 7 groups, each with six sounds.
What is Group 1 in Jolly Phonics? +
Group 1 is s, a, t, i, p, n. These six sounds are taught first because they make many simple words, such as sat, pin and tap.
Why is the alphabet not taught in A to Z order in Jolly Phonics? +
The sounds are ordered so children can build and read words as quickly as possible, and so that letters that look similar, like b and d, are not taught together.
How long does it take to learn the 42 sounds? +
In school, one sound is usually introduced each day, so all 42 are covered in about nine weeks, followed by ongoing revision and blending practice.
Are the 42 sounds the same as the alphabet? +
No. The alphabet has 26 letters. The 42 sounds include single letters and two-letter sounds such as sh, ch, ai and oo.
Why does my child say "v" and "w" the same way? +
Many children who speak Indian languages at home merge these two sounds. Showing the mouth position (teeth on lip for /v/, rounded lips for /w/) and practising word pairs such as vet and wet helps.