Phonics phases explained, and what schools use now
"She's on Phase 3" means something specific, but many schools no longer use the word "phase" at all. Here is what each phase covers, where the idea came from, and how to find out what your child's school actually teaches.
Quick answer
| Phase | Usually | What children learn | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursery, early Reception | Listening, rhymes, hearing sounds in words | "c-a-t... cat" said aloud |
| 2 | Reception | First letter sounds, blending short words | sat, pin, dog |
| 3 | Reception | Rest of the alphabet, two and three letter sounds | chip, rain, night |
| 4 | End of Reception | No new sounds; longer words with clusters | frog, milk, strong |
| 5 | Year 1 | New spellings for known sounds | play, cake, blue |
| 6 | Year 2 | Spelling rules, suffixes, past tense, fluency | jumped, happily |
Where "phases" came from
The six phases come from Letters and Sounds, a phonics programme the government published in 2007. For more than a decade it was the default in English primary schools, so "Phase 2" and "Phase 5" became everyday words for teachers and parents.
GOV.UK now marks Letters and Sounds as a historical document. It is still useful for understanding the order of sounds, but it is no longer the programme schools are expected to follow.
What schools use now
Since 2021 the Department for Education has run a validation process for systematic synthetic phonics programmes. Schools in England are expected to choose one validated programme and teach it consistently. There are now more than 40 on the official list.
Each programme teaches broadly the same sounds, but in its own order and with its own names. You might hear "Set 2 sounds", "Unit 4" or "Phase 3 autumn" for very similar content. Some well-known validated programmes include Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised, Read Write Inc. Phonics, Essential Letters and Sounds, Jolly Phonics, Sounds-Write and Letterland.
Ask your school which programme they use and for a copy of its sound order. Practise the sounds in that order at home, with the same words and actions, so your child is not learning two systems at once.
Phase by phase
Phase 1: tuning in
No letters yet. Children learn to listen: sounds around them, rhythm, rhyme, and hearing the separate sounds in a spoken word. At home: play "I spy" with sounds ("something beginning with mmm").
Phase 2: first letters and blending
The first group of letters and their sounds, typically s a t p i n m d g o c k ck e u r h b f ff l ll ss, and blending them into short words like sat, pin and dog. At home: make words with magnetic letters and sound them out together.
Phase 3: the rest of the alphabet and digraphs
The remaining single letters (j v w x y z zz qu) and sounds written with two or three letters: ch sh th ng ai ee igh oa oo ar or ur ow oi ear air ure er. At home: hunt for "sh" and "ch" words in a picture book.
Phase 4: longer words
No new sounds. Children read and spell words with consonants next to each other, like frog, milk and strong. At home: build a word, then add a letter ("top" to "stop").
Phase 5: more ways to spell a sound
The same sounds, new spellings: ay in play, a-e in cake, ue in blue, ir in bird, ph in phone and more. Children also learn that one spelling can make more than one sound, like ow in "snow" and "cow". This is most of Year 1 and feeds directly into the phonics check. At home: sort words by spelling into columns.
Phase 6: spelling and fluency
Reading is becoming automatic, so the focus moves to spelling patterns, adding endings like -ed and -ing, and reading with expression. At home: read aloud together and take turns doing "voices".
The letter lists follow Letters and Sounds (2007). Your school's programme may teach them in a different order.
How phases link to the phonics check
The Year 1 phonics screening check uses sounds that every validated programme teaches by the end of Year 1, roughly Phases 2 to 5. Read our phonics check guide for dates, the pass mark and free practice.
Which phase is my child in?
Tick what your child can do
For international schools and EFL classes
Children in England start phonics already speaking thousands of English words. A child learning English as a foreign language often does not. Decoding a word you do not know the meaning of has limited value, so EFL classes should teach spoken words and listening alongside the phases, not after them.
Once children can decode, they are ready for our free Level 1 programme, which builds speaking, reading for meaning and writing over 36 weeks.
Frequently asked questions
How many phonics phases are there?
Six in Letters and Sounds (2007). Newer validated programmes organise the same sounds in their own stages.
Is Letters and Sounds still used?
The 2007 document is now historical. Several validated programmes build on it, but schools are expected to follow one validated programme.
What phase should my child be in at the end of Reception?
Typically around Phase 4 in Letters and Sounds terms. Check your school's programme, because orders differ.
Which phases does the phonics check cover?
Mostly Phase 2 to Phase 5 content: the sounds taught by the end of Year 1.
My child knows all the sounds but cannot blend. What helps?
Short daily oral blending games and reading decodable books matched to the sounds they know.
Should EFL children follow the same phases?
The sound order can be similar, but they need spoken vocabulary and listening practice at the same time.
Phonics practice that follows your class
Litlings games, lessons and homework follow the sounds your class is on, and show you who is stuck. Free for up to 40 pupils.
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