6 letters · 2 sounds

How to pronounce
"action"

"action" is pronounced with 2 sounds across 2 phonics chunks: ac · tion. Tap each box below to hear the sound, then blend them to read the word.

2 sounds · tap a box to hear each sound

Even though 'action' has 6 letters, it has only 2 sounds — the grapheme 'tion' — pronounced /shun/ — classic tricky ending.

How do you pronounce "action"?

To pronounce "action" correctly, say each of the 2 sounds in order, then blend them smoothly. This technique — Elkonin sound boxes — is used in thousands of US classrooms following the Science of Reading approach. Here's the step-by-step phonics method:

  1. 1 Say the sound for "ac" — then pause
  2. 2 Say the sound for "tion" — final sound
  3. ✓ Blend all 2 sounds together: "action"

Words that rhyme with "action"

abstractiondistractionexactionextractionattractioncontractiondiffraction

Frequently asked questions about "action"

How do you pronounce "action"?
To pronounce "action", say each of its 2 phonics sound chunks in order — ac, and tion — then blend them smoothly. Tap the sound boxes above to hear each chunk.
How many sound chunks are in "action"?
"action" has 2 phonics sound chunks: ac · tion. Breaking a word into chunks helps kids decode it one sound at a time using the Science of Reading approach.
What are the phonics sounds in "action"?
The phonics sounds in "action" are ac, and tion. Each chunk represents one distinct sound; together they spell the 6-letter word "action".
How many letters are in "action"?
"action" has 6 letters and 2 phonics sound chunks.
What words rhyme with "action"?
Words that rhyme with "action" include "abstraction", "distraction", "exaction", "extraction", "attraction". These are listed in the "Words that rhyme with..." section above.

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