What 'Phonological Awareness' Really Means

Phonological awareness has become something of a buzzword in education—frequently mentioned, often misunderstood, and occasionally used interchangeably with other terms. Yet, for children learning to read and spell, phonological awareness is not just another educational concept; it is a foundational cognitive skill. Without it, literacy can feel like trying to assemble flat-pack furniture without the instructions—possible, but unnecessarily difficult.

So, what actually is phonological awareness?

At its simplest, phonological awareness is a child’s ability to detect and manipulate the sound structures of spoken language. Crucially, it is about sound, not letters. This means a child is working with what they can hear, not what they can see on the page.

When we talk about phonological awareness, we are referring to a broad umbrella of skills that involve recognising and playing with spoken language at different levels:

• Words (e.g., identifying how many words are in a sentence)

• Syllables (e.g., clapping out hip-po-pot-a-mus)

• Onset and rime (e.g., in cat, /c/ is the onset and -at is the rime)

• Individual speech sounds (phonemes) (e.g., hearing that ship has three sounds: /sh/ /i/ /p/)

  
  

These skills develop before and alongside early reading. They also underpin phonics, but are not the same thing.

Phonological awareness vs. phonics: key differences

Parents often ask whether phonological awareness is just another word for phonics. The short answer: no—they are related, but distinct.

• Phonological awareness is about sound only.

• Phonics is about linking those sounds to letters and written patterns.

  
  

A helpful way to think of it:phonological awareness is the foundation,phonics is the building on top.

If phonological awareness is weak, phonics instruction becomes harder to access.

Why phonological awareness matters for literacy—and dyslexia

Reading is not a natural developmental process—humans “borrow” parts of the brain designed for speech. To read new words, children need to break spoken words into smaller parts (segmenting) and blend parts together (blending). These are phonological skills.

Research consistently shows that strong phonological awareness in early years predicts later reading success, while weaknesses in these skills are strongly associated with dyslexia. In fact, phonological processing differences are considered a core feature of dyslexia, and often explain why bright, curious children struggle with decoding and spelling.

Children with dyslexic profiles may:

• Find it harder to hear and isolate individual sounds in words

• Struggle to blend sounds when reading unfamiliar words

• Have difficulty swapping sounds (e.g., “Say cat without /c/” → at)

• Find spelling effortful, despite strong oral language

• Rely on memorising whole words rather than decoding

  
  

These challenges are not reflective of intelligence or effort—they are rooted in how the brain processes and stores speech sounds.

What phonological awareness looks like in real life

Young children often develop phonological awareness long before they encounter written phonics. You’ll see it emerging through playful language:

• Spotting that mouse and house rhyme

• Playing with silly alliterations

• Clapping out syllables in names

• Counting words in spoken sentences

• Saying “bus” without the “b”

• Blending “sun” + “set” to make “sunset”

  
  

These seemingly small skills support not just early literacy, but also vocabulary and spoken language.

Misconceptions worth clearing up

A few common misunderstandings deserve correcting:

“It’s just about rhyming.”Rhyming is only one small part of phonological awareness. Skills at the phoneme level (like blending and segmenting) are more predictive of reading success and more relevant to dyslexia.

“You’ll hear phonological difficulties in speech.”Many children with dyslexic profiles have clear speech. The difficulty is in analysing sounds, not articulating them.

“Children will simply catch up.”Some do—but for children with dyslexia or related phonological processing differences, targeted support is far more effective than waiting.

So, what helps?

Effective teaching combines explicit instruction with oral language play. Helpful approaches include:

• Syllable sorting and deletion tasks

• Oral blending and segmenting (without letters initially)

• Rhyming and alliteration games

• Phoneme manipulation (adding, deleting, substituting sounds)

• Gradual integration with phonics once foundations are secure

  
  

For children with dyslexia, structured, cumulative, evidence-informed teaching makes a significant difference, particularly when it connects phonological awareness to phonics in a systematic way.

Final thoughts

Phonological awareness is quiet cognitive work happening inside the spoken language system. It is not flashy, but it is fundamental. When understood and nurtured, it opens the door to decoding, spelling, and lifelong reading confidence.

By understanding what phonological awareness really is—and how dyslexia relates to it—parents and teachers can notice early signs, ask better questions, and ensure children access the right support at the right time.

If you’d like to learn more or seek support

If you have concerns about your child’s reading, spelling, or phonological skills—or you simply want clarity around dyslexia—I offer specialist assessments and guidance for families in Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and beyond. You can learn more or book an initial call via my website. Early understanding gives children confidence, and confidence changes the journey.