1. Syllable Formation:
* In English, vowels usually form the "core" of a syllable.
* A consonant following a vowel often indicates the end of a syllable, as in "cat" (C-A-T), "dog" (D-O-G), or "run" (R-U-N).
2. Consonant Blends:
* When two consonants occur together, they might be a "blend" - meaning they are pronounced together but each sound is audible. Examples include: "bl" in "black", "fl" in "flag", "sh" in "ship", "st" in "stop".
3. Digraphs:
* A digraph is two letters that represent a single sound. Some digraphs involve a consonant following a vowel, such as "ch" in "chair" or "th" in "thin".
4. Vowel Digraphs:
* Don't forget about vowel digraphs! While the vowel is the main focus, they often involve a consonant following the vowel. Examples include: "ai" in "rain", "ea" in "bread", "ou" in "house", "ie" in "tie".
5. Vowel Sounds:
* The consonant following a vowel can influence the sound of the vowel itself. For example, "cat" has a short "a" sound, while "cake" has a long "a" sound.
6. Phonetic Transcription:
* To get a more precise understanding of how a consonant following a vowel is pronounced, you can look at the phonetic transcription of a word. Phonetic transcription uses symbols to represent the actual sounds of speech, and can be a helpful tool for understanding the relationship between consonants and vowels.
Let me know if you have any specific examples you'd like to discuss, and I'll be happy to explain them in more detail!