How to read "lab"

/l/ · /a/ · /b/ — short a /a/

"lab" has three sounds and no surprises. Stretch them together — /l//a//b/ — and speed up until the word appears. That single move is the whole skill of decoding.

/l/

/a/

/b/

Blend "lab" step by step

Say /l/ and hold it.
Slide straight into /a/ — no pause.
Close with /b/.
Repeat faster each time until it sounds like "lab".

Words that rhyme with "lab"

All of these end in "-ab". Once your child reads one, the rest come almost free — only the first sound changes.

Common questions

How many sounds are in "lab"?

Three: /l/, /a/, /b/. That is why "lab" is called a CVC word — one consonant sound, one vowel sound, one consonant sound.

What vowel sound does "lab" have?

The short a /a/ sound, made by the letter a in the middle of the word.

What rhymes with "lab"?

cab, dab, jab, nab, tab — they all end in "-ab", so only the first sound changes.

Is "lab" a good first word to teach?

Yes, if your child already knows the sounds /l/, /a/, /b/. Teach the sounds first, then the blend — never the other way round.

Blend "lab" in the game

Blending Bay stretches each sound aloud and rewards a correct blend with a sticker.

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