THE VIRTUAL PHONETICS™ SCRIPT IS A MODERN VERSION OF AN ANCIENT TEACHING METHOD BUT FOR ENGLISH LITERACY.
A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR OLDER AGE STUDENTS
The Virtual Ph#netics script is a simple first stage tow3rd helping mainly older students and w!rkers to read and spell English w!rds with greater accuracy. It is based upon a met#d f@r the teaching of basic literacy that first originated s#me 3,200 years ago.
This ancient met#d is still being used today f@r the teaching of Hebrew literacy skills trough%ut the w!rld. Virtual Ph#netics basically d#es f@r modern English w!rds wh1t the “vocalisation m2rks” of Hebrew have d#ne f@r Hebrew w!rds f@r many centuries.
SOME NEW LETTERS WITH THE OLD ONES
Below are the 59 letters and letter combinations used by the Virtual Phonetics script. These 59 ‘letters’, when combined with the silent… smaller and slanted… letters, add up to the 60 sounding-out “rules” that are taught by the Virtual Phonetics script.
a a 1 2 3 b c c ch
d d e e e f f g g gh
h i i i j k l m n
o o ! @ # $ % & p ph
q qu r r s s sh t th t
u u 4 5 v w x y y2 y z
The Virtual Phonetics program has been designed to develop the very basic skills, often called visual perception skills, that are used in the spelling and reading of English words. It is a collection of markings put on and around English letters to help students to pronounce words correctly.
10 SIGNS: HOW THEY WORK
SIGN 1.
FAINT letters are not to be sounded out.
They are silent:
knob writ wrestle trouble debt
SIGN 2.
BOLD pairs of consonant letters make one common English sound unit:
gh as in: rough
ph as in: philosophy
ch as in: chin
sh as in: shut
qu as in: quit
th as in: then
t as in: tin
SIGN 3.
BOLD single vowels a e i o u changes their sounds from short to long:
apr#n even icon oval unit straight though trough ghost
SIGN 4.
A VERTICAL LINE UNDER the letters c g s d changes their sounds to s j z and t respectively:
cell gem rubs jumped cruise
SIGN 5.
A vertical line over the letters a 1 and o # changes their sounds to short o and u sounds respectively:
w1s w1tch qu1ds qu1lity y1cht c#me fr#nt am#ng w#nder m#ther
SIGN 6.
A dot over the letters o $ and u 5 changes their sounds to hard u sound:
p5ll b5tcher b$s$m w$man t$$k
SIGN 7.
Two dots over a letter tells you that there is an ah sound below:
he2rt st2r l2ugh sp2rse sfrgeant
SIGN 8.
A HORIZONTAL CURVED LINE OVER a letter tells you that there is er sound below::
bird term b4rn w!rthy learn
SIGN 9.
A VERTICAL c SHAPE OVER a letter tells you that there is an or sound below:
ch3lk b@ught b3ld b@rn d3ughter
SIGN 10.
A SLANTED LINE THROUGH a letter tells you about the sound of ow as in ‘now’ sound:
b%unce all%wing scr%unge pl%ugh
Pronunciation Keys
VOWELS
a
a apple ant rabbit
a acorn greatly vacant
1 w1nt sw1t qu1rrel y1cht
2 2rt p2lm c2rnage
3 3ll r3w h3ul
e
e egg empty entice
e even evil secret
e her verge early
f clfrk sfrgeant
i-y
i ink igloo itchy
y yet yonder yellow
i idle delight icon
y myself pigsty deny
i irk girder birt
o
o orange oct#pus ogle
o omit over Eskimo
# s#n m#ther #ni#n
$ w$lf h$$d w$man
o
! w!rd w!rse w!rk
@ @rder s@rt transp@rt
% %ut sc%wl l%udly
& m&ve t&& int& tw&
u
u ugly umbrella cut
u uni#n unity rude
5 p5t p5ll b5tcher
4 4rge n4rse p4rple
CONSONANTS
c cat cut cot cabbage
c cent city cycle
g get got gun give
g gem gentle ginger
d dig dug dog
d liked licked kissed
s sit sat set
s digs dogs present
ch chat chin rich much
sh shed shut rush rash
th that then this those
t tin tick tink ting
ph phone graph nephew
gh tough l2ugh cough
qu quickly queen quit
‘ r ’ is spoken before vowels
and
‘ r ’ is not usually spoken after vowels.