Our Phonics Sequences

Phonics Hero is available in four sound sequences, each compatible with popular phonics programs. Select yours below to see which sequence is right for you.

Which phonics program does your school follow?

Get Reading Right

Playing with Sounds sequence

Letters & Sounds / Little Wandle /Jolly Phonics / RWI

Letters & Sounds programs

NSW Phonics Syllabus

New South Wales curriculum

InitiaLit / Little Learners / UFLI / Phonics Plus / SPELD NSW

Starts s, a, t, p, i, m, f

Available: Feb. 2026

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Playing with Sounds

Matches Get Reading Right’s order of sounds

📄 Download complete order (PDF)

Kindy / Reception / Prep (Levels 1–6) ▼

s, m, c, t, g, p, a, o

r, l, d, b, f, h, i, u

v, w, y, z, j, n, k, e

ll, ss, ff, zz

sh, ch, th, wh

ck, ng, qu, x

Year 1 (Levels 7–12) ▼

VCC, CCVC, CVCC words

ee, ea, y, e

i, igh, y, ie, i_e

o, oa, ow, o_e

a, ai, ay, a_e

oo, ew, ue, u_e

Year 2 (Levels 13–26) ▼

r, rr*, wr

oi, oy

ph, f, ff

ow, ou

c, ce, s, se, ss

u, oo, oul

ar, a*

ir, er, ear, ur, or

or, au*, aw*, al*, ore

air, ear, are, ere

j, dge, ge, g

ch, tch, tu

sh, ci, ti

s, si (zh)

*Not applicable to American accent.

Letters & Sounds

Compatible with Letters & Sounds, Little Wandle, Jolly Phonics & RWI

📄 Download complete order (PDF)

Kindy / Reception / Prep (Levels 1–6) ▼

A: s, a, t, p B: i, n, m, d

A: g, o, c, k B: ck, e, u, r

A: h, b, f, l B: ff, ll, ss

A: j, v, w, x B: y, z, zz, qu

A: ch, sh, th, ng B: ai, ee, igh, oa

A: oo (zoo), oo (book), ar, or B: ur, ow, oi, ear C: air, ure, er

Year 1 (Levels 7–12) ▼

A: CVCC, CCVC words B: Polysyllabic words

Phase 5 – New Graphemes:
A: ay, ou, ie, ea B: oy, ir, ue, aw C: wh, ph, ew, oe, au D: a_e, e_e, i_e, o_e, u_e

Phase 5 – Alt. Pronunciations:
A: i, o, c, g B: u, ow, ie, ea C: er*, a, y, ch, ou

Phase 5 – Alt. Spellings:
A: ch, tu, tch B: f, ff, ph

A: j, dge, ge, g B: r, rr*, wr

s, c, ce, ss, se

Year 2 (Levels 13–26) ▼

sh, ci, ti

ai, a, ay, a_e

ee, ea, y, e

igh, i, y, ie, i_e

oa, o, ow, o_e

oo, ew, ue, u_e

u, oo, oul

ir, er, ear, ur, or

or, au*, aw*, al*, ore

or, ir, er, ear, ur

ow, ou

oi, oy

air, ear, are, ere

s, si (zh)

*Not applicable to American accent.

NSW Sequence

Matches the Australian, NSW Phonics Syllabus

📄 Download complete order (PDF)

Kindy / Reception / Prep (Levels 1–6) ▼

A: s, a, t, p, i B: n, d, m

A: g, o, c, k, ck B: e, u, r, h, b

A: f & ff, l & ll, s & ss, z & zz B: sh, ch, th (voiced), th (unvoiced), ng

A: y (yes), y (by), j B: v & ve, w & wh, x, qu C: i_e, a_e, o_e, e_e, u_e

A: oi & oy (toy) B: ou & ow (cow) C: oa & ow (snow)

A: ai & ay (say) B: ee, ea & e (me) C: oo & ew (soon)

Year 1 (Levels 7–12) ▼

A: /ay/ say – a_e, ai, ay, a B: /ee/ me – e_e, ea, ee, e, ey, y

A: /igh/ my – i_e, ie, i, y, igh B: /ow/ no – o_e, oa, ow, o, oe

A: /ar/ farm – ar, a* B: /or/ fork – or, aw*, ore C: /oo/ soon – u_e, ue, oo, ew

A: /ow/ cow – ou, ow B: /e/ egg – e, ea C: /oy/ toy – oy, oi D: /er/ her – er, ir, ur

A: /oo/ look – u, oo, oul B: /er/ sister – er, ar, or C: /j/ jab – j, g, ge, dge

A: /air/ air – air, are, ear B: /n/ in – n, kn, gn C: /sh/ shop – sh, ch D: /ear/ dear – ear, eer

Year 2 (Levels 13–26) ▼

medial consonant doubles – tt, bb, dd, pp, mm, gg

A: /u/ up – u, o, ou B: /o/ hot – o, a

/l/ bottle (dark l) – le, el, al

/n/ in – n, kn, gn

/m/ mit – m, mm, me

/j/ jab (soft g) – j, g, ge, dge

/f/ fin – f, ff, ph

/g/ gut (hard g) – g, gu

/ch/ chair – ch, tch, t

/k/ kid – k, c, ck, ch

/sh/ shop – sh, ti, si, ci

/r/ run – r, rr*, wr

/zh/ treasure – s, si, ge

/s/ sat – s, se, c, ce

*Not applicable to American accent.

Aus. Sounds

Compatible with InitiaLit, Little Learners, UFLI, Phonics Plus & SPELD NSW

📄 Download complete order (PDF)

Kindy / Reception / Prep (Levels 1–6) ▼

s, a, t, p, i, m, f

d, o, c, r, e, g, n

A: h, l, j, u, k, b B: ff, ll, ss, ck

qu, z & zz, sh, ch

A: v, x, y, w B: wh, th (unvoiced), th (voiced), ng

A: ee, ay, oo (zoo), oo (book), igh, oa B: CVCC & CCVC

Year 1 content will be available by Easter 2026.

Our Recommendation: Letters & Sounds

A widely used and research-backed sequence for schools without a set program

📄 Download Letters & Sounds order (PDF)

Kindy / Reception / Prep (Levels 1–6) ▼

A: s, a, t, p B: i, n, m, d

A: g, o, c, k B: ck, e, u, r

A: h, b, f, l B: ff, ll, ss

A: j, v, w, x B: y, z, zz, qu

A: ch, sh, th, ng B: ai, ee, igh, oa

A: oo, oo, ar, or B: ur, ow, oi, ear C: air, ure, er

Year 1 (Levels 7–12) ▼

A: CVCC, CCVC words B: Polysyllabic words

Phase 5 – New Graphemes:
ay, ou, ie, ea, oy, ir, ue, aw, wh, ph, ew, oe, au, split digraphs

Phase 5 – Alt. Pronunciations:
i, o, c, g, u, ow, ie, ea, er*, a, y, ch, ou

Phase 5 – Alt. Spellings:
ch, tu, tch, f, ff, ph

j, dge, ge, g, r, rr*, wr

s, c, ce, ss, se

Year 2 (Levels 13–26) ▼

sh, ci, ti

ai, a, ay, a_e

ee, ea, y, e

igh, i, y, ie, i_e

oa, o, ow, o_e

oo, ew, ue, u_e

u, oo, oul

ir, er, ear, ur, or

or, au*, aw*, al*, ore

or, ir, er, ear, ur

ow, ou

oi, oy

air, ear, are, ere

s, si (zh)

*Not applicable to American accent.

Find Your Match

Compare your program’s first sounds to ours

What sounds does your program’s first few groups/sets/units start with? Match them to one of ours:

s, m, c, t, g, p, a, o → Playing with Sounds ▼

1 s, m, c, t, g, p, a, o

2 r, l, d, b, f, h, i, u

3 v, w, y, z, j, n, k, e

4 ll, ss, ff, zz

View full sequence →

s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d → Letters & Sounds ▼

1 A: s, a, t, p B: i, n, m, d

2 A: g, o, c, k B: ck, e, u, r

3 A: h, b, f, l B: ff, ll, ss

4 A: j, v, w, x B: y, z, zz, qu

View full sequence →

s, a, t, p, i, n, d, m → NSW Sequence ▼

1 A: s, a, t, p, i B: n, d, m

2 A: g, o, c, k, ck B: e, u, r, h, b

3 A: f & ff, l & ll, s & ss, z & zz B: sh, ch, th, ng

4 A: y (yes), y (by), j B: v, w, wh, x, qu C: split digraphs

View full sequence →

s, a, t, p, i, m, f → Aus. Sounds ▼

1 s, a, t, p, i, m, f

2 d, o, c, r, e, g, n

3 A: h, l, j, u, k, b B: ff, ll, ss, ck

4 qu, z & zz, sh, ch

Available February 2026

View full sequence →

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Start Exploring with a Teacher Account