Phonics pattern

The FLSZ rule: ff, ll, ss, zz

In a one-syllable word with a short vowel, f, l, s and z at the end are usually doubled: puff, bell, miss, buzz. The -all, -oll and -ull families often come with it. It is a spelling rule more than a reading one.

Spellings: ff, ll, ss, zz, all

How to teach it

Show four or five words with the doubled ending and ask what they have in common: one syllable, a short vowel, ending in f, l, s or z.
Read a list, then sort words into doubled and not doubled (bus and fuss, for example), and talk about the exceptions as they come up.
Dictate words with the rule and ask the student to explain why the letter is doubled. A sentence or two to finish.

Practice words

Read them across, then down. Point under each word as it is read.

kiss
pass
fuss
mill
sill
bill
dull
huff
buff
fizz
wall
ball

Decodable sentences

Bess fell off the hill.
The bell rang, and the kids ran to the hall.
Do not fuss, Bill.

Spoken warm-ups

No print. Say the prompt; the student answers aloud. Sounds are written between slashes.

Spoken warm-ups for The FLSZ rule: ff, ll, ss, zz
You say	The student says
Listen: /b/ /e/ /l/. What word?	bell
Say ‘puff’. Say each sound.	/p/ /u/ /f/
Say ‘hill’. Change /h/ to /f/. What word?	fill

Common errors

Spelling with one letter (huf for huff). Ask the three questions out loud: one syllable? short vowel? ends in f, l, s or z?
Doubling other letters (catt). Keep the rule to its four letters; most other final consonants are single.
Reading -all as short a (ball read with /ă/). Teach -all as its own chunk with the /aw/ sound.

Which lessons teach this

If you teach UFLI Foundations, this pattern comes up in these 2 lessons. Teach from your own manual.

Literacy Trail is an independent tool and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Florida Literacy Institute. It contains no UFLI lesson content, only lesson names and order.

Questions people ask

Are these words from an assessment?

No. The practice words, sentences and warm-ups here are written for teaching and are kept separate from the words in the Literacy Trail assessments, so practicing never teaches the test.

When is a student ready for the FLSZ rule?

When they read and spell the pattern before it (consonant digraphs) accurately and without prompting, most of the time. Keep reviewing earlier patterns for two minutes a session while the new one settles.

How long should practice take?

A few minutes a day beats one long session a week. Read the word list once or twice, dictate three or four words, and read a sentence or two. Rate how it went and bring the pattern back on a short schedule if it is shaky.

Plan sessions for this pattern automatically

Start the 15-day free trial and add a student. When they reach the FLSZ rule, Literacy Trail plans the sessions for it automatically, and a Needs support or Developing rating brings it back for review.

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