Build the Word

What Build the Word practices

Build the Word is spelling by sound. The game says a word, and your child builds it from letter tiles, one slot per sound. Early words are short, such as sat, cat, dog, sun, map and hat, then come blends like clip, spin and plum, and words with sh and ch.

Letter teams like sh are a single tile, matching the single sound they make. A few extra tiles sit in the bank, and the bank is shuffled so it never spells the word in order.

Who it suits

Five- to seven-year-olds who can read short words and are starting to write them, and older children whose spelling lags behind their reading. Spelling and reading build each other, so this strengthens both.

How a round goes

Your child listens and taps the tiles in order. A wrong tile wiggles, the word is said again, and a hint reads “Listen again, then tap the next sound”. The speaker button repeats the word at any time.

When every slot is filled, the game cheers “You spelled it!” and the next word follows. Each word takes well under a minute, so five words make a short, satisfying ring.

A tip for home

Before your child taps any tiles, ask them to say the word slowly and hold up one finger for each sound. Three fingers for map means three tiles. Counting sounds first turns spelling from guessing into a plan.

Try next

• Change a Sound — changes just one sound in a built word to make another.
• Stretchy Blend — goes the other way, from letters to the spoken word.
• Read the Word — reads new words out loud, sound by sound.
• Picture Pick — the reverse job: read a printed word and tap the picture it names.

More from “Blending sounds into words”

• Word Family — Read word families like sat, pat, cat and hat.

Read more

How to teach blending, step by step: the build-it-together step that turns blending practice into spelling practice.