The “onset” is the initial phonological unit of any word (e.g. c in cat) and the term “rime” refers to the string of letters that follow, usually a vowel and final consonants (e.g. at in cat). … This can help students decode new words when reading and spell words when writing.

What is an onset example?

An onset is the consonant or consonant blend at the beginning of a word that precedes the first vowel. It can be one, two, or three letters long. In the word cat, the onset is c. … For example, the word about has only a rime in the first syllable (a) and both an onset (b) and a rime (out) in the second syllable.

What is an onset syllable?

Onset. The onset (also known as anlaut) is the consonant sound or sounds at the beginning of a syllable, occurring before the nucleus. Most syllables have an onset.