Learning Overview

Phonics Hero’s resources include three stages of phonics curriculum: the Basic, Advanced Code and Complete the Code. These three parts span 26 levels of systematic reading and spelling learning and practice.

We find that most children most enjoy the Phonics Hero games between the ages of 4 and 7, while our click-and-go phonics lessons support parents in providing quality phonics instruction to younger and older children, as well.


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Placement Test

When first playing the Phonics Hero games, you will be given the option to start at the beginning (for new readers) or to take our Placement Test.

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Our Placement Test asks children to read nonsense words to
assess their phonics knowledge.

What We Teach:

Although it’s 3 years of content, it’s a better educational approach to place your child on a level by ability, rather than age.

Phonics Hero has two orders of sounds. Depending on where you live, you’re automatically assigned the best order (this is based on your country’s curriculum and the predominate accent). View your order:


Australia, Canada, HK and USA

Playing With Sounds Order

Download a PDF of the order.
Part 1 – Basic Code – Beginning Reader & Speller
Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
1 s m c t g p a o sat, mop, tap, cog
2 r l d b f h i u rag, fib, hid, lug
3 v w y z j n k e vat, win, zip, ink, men, yum
4 ll ss ff zz bell, huff, buzz, mass
5 sh ch th wh shall, then, chum, which
6 ck ng qu x pack, sung, quick, flex

What They’ll Learn:

  • A great foundation: the first 29 of the 44 sounds.
  • A sound for each letter of the alphabet and the concept that a sound can be represented by more than one letter, for example: ‘sh’ or ‘ch’.
  • To read and spell over 350 words.
  • To read over 150 sentences.
  • 36 camera/tricky words, which are so essential to get children reading and writing passages of text.
Part 2 – Advanced Code – Emerging Reader & Speller
Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
7 Words with a more complicated pattern VCC
(Vowel, Consonant, Consonant)
CCVC and CVCC words
ash, stop, drum, gift, dress
8 ee ea y e cheek, beach, merry, being
9 i igh y ie i_e blind, thigh, spy, tried, drive
10 o oa ow o_e hotel, boast, pillow, alone
11 a ai ay a_e lady, chain, fray, grape
12 oo ew ue u_e spoon, grew, blue, fluke

What They’ll Learn:

  • The 5 critical vowel digraphs.
  • Watch spelling fly with all the ways these vowel digraphs can be spelled.
  • 248 fun, lively, unique games.
  • Read and spell over 250 new words.
  • Read over 150 new sentences.
  • 36 new camera/tricky words.
Part 3 – Complete the Code – Advancing Reader & Speller
Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
13 r rr wr risky, carrot, wrung
14 oi oy point, toilet, employ, royal
15 ph f ff dolphin, shelf, offend
16 ow ou drowsy, allow, crouch, ground
17 c ce s se ss pencil, fence, sixty, rinse, stress
18 u oo oul full, bully, shook, should
19 ar a sharp, parcel, grasp, chant
20 ir er ear ur or squirt, berth, early, blurb, world
21 or au aw al ore horse, pause, scrawl, stalk, swore
22 air ear are ere hairy, parent, there
23 j dge ge g wedge, fridge, surgeon, giraffe
24 ch tch tu child, charm, blotch, fracture
25 sh ci ti splash, shrunk, gracious, direction
26 s si unusual, leisure, illusion, abrasion

What They’ll Learn:

  • The last remaining sounds needed to complete the phonics code.
  • Read and spell over 456 new words.
  • Read over 376 new sentences.
  • And your child will now be off on their own reading and spelling adventures!

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Rest of the World

Letters and Sounds Order

Download a PDF of the order.

Part 1 – Basic Code

Phase 2

Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
1a s a t p sat, pat, tap sap
1b i n m d sit, nip, man, din
2a g o c k tag, cop, kid, kit
2b ck e u r rack, rug, sock, deck
3a h b f l him, back, fan, log
3b ff ll ss huff, hiss, hill, kiss

Phase 3

Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
4a j v w x jam, van, wet, fox
4b y z zz qu yell, zip, buzz, quick
5a ch sh th ng much, shell, them, sing
5b ai ee igh oa rain, queen, light, toast
6a oo (zoo) oo (book) ar or shoot, hook, shark, pork
6b ur ow oi ear blur, clown, point, beard
6c air ure er chair, mature, flower

Part 2 – Advanced Code

Phase 4

Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
7a CVCC & CCVC words help, speech, moist, thump
7b Polysyllabic words treetop, driftwood, starlight, shelving

Phase 5 – New Graphemes For Reading:

Level Target Sounds Only for Reading Example Words
8a ay ou ie ea play, ground, dried, speak
8b oy ir ue aw destroy, thirty, true, straw
8c wh ph ew oe au whisper, elephant, threw, tomatoes, August
8d a_e e_e i_e o_e u_e brake, concrete, smile, joke, prune

Phase 5- Alternative Pronunciations:

Level Target Sounds Only for Reading Example Words
9a i (fin vs find)
o (hot vs cold)
c (cat vs cent)
g (got vs giant)
quit, wild
pocket, frozen
picnic, fireplace
dragon, magic
9b u (but vs put)
ow (cow vs blow)
ie (tie vs field)
ea (eat vs bread)
drummer, octopus
power, yellow
magpie, cookie
dream, meadow
9c er (farmer vs her)
a (hat vs what)
y (yes vs vy vs very)
ch (chin vs school vs chef)
ou (out vs shoulder vs could vs you)
tower, herb
cashew, wander
yoyo, cloudy
coach, chemist, drench

Phase 5 – Alternative Spellings:

Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
10a ch tu tch cherub, picture, switch
10b f ff ph fish fluff dolphin
11a j dge ge g jazz, bridge, cabbage, giant
11b r rr wr robot, carrot, wrench
12 s c ce ss se socks, pencil, bounce, kiss, house
Part 3 – Complete the Code
Level Target Sounds and Spelling Choices Example Words
13 sh ci ti brush, special, station
14 ai a ay a_e stain, apron, tray, whale
15 ee ea y e sleep, dream, twenty, she
16 igh i y ie i_e bright, blind, fly, fried, smile
17 oa o ow o_e groan, hotel, crow, joke
18 oo ew ue u_e tooth, threw, glue, prune
19 u oo oul helpful, firewood, should
20 ar a market, banana
21 or au aw al ore report, launch, draw, seashore
22 ur ir er ear or burst, birthday, germ, heard, artwork
23 ow ou crown, ground
24 oi oy boiling, destroy
25 air ear are ere airship, pear, scarecrow, where
26 s si (zh) treasure, television

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