Word part · Greek combining form
The Greek combining form phon
Means: sound.
At a glance
- Part
- phon
- Meaning
- sound
- Layer
- Greek: Combining forms behind science words, with spellings like ph and ch.
- Also spelled
- phone
The ph spells /f/, a sure sign of a Greek word part.
Example words
Read each word, then its sum: the parts that build it, and what they mean together.
Colors:prefixroot or basesuffix
- phone (root or base)on its own is the word phone
a device for talking with someone far away
- phon (root or base)+ics (suffix)→phonics
using letters and their sounds to read
- head (root or base)+phone (root or base)+s (suffix)→headphones
speakers worn over the head to hear sound
- ear (root or base)+phone (root or base)→earphone
a small speaker worn in the ear
- tele (root or base)+phone (root or base)→telephone
a device that carries sound far away
- micro (root or base)+phone (root or base)→microphone
a device that picks up small sounds so they can be made louder
- micro (root or base)+phone (root or base)+s (suffix)→microphones
more than one microphone
- phon (root or base)+o (connector)+graph (root or base)→phonograph
an old machine that plays recorded sound
phon + o + graph: add a connecting vowel → phonograph
- ear (root or base)+phone (root or base)+s (suffix)→earphones
a pair of small speakers worn in the ears
Original word lists and meanings written by Literacy Trail.
Taught alongside
Parts that share a lesson with phon.
Teach word parts with ready lessons
Literacy Trail has word parts lessons with words to read, build, split and spell, and full-screen players for the student. Every plan starts with a 15-day free trial.