Intended to answer questions from practicing teachers, concerned parents, and college students about the sounds and spelling patterns of English, this book presents an overview of the structure of written words that shows readers how the sounds of English are paired with their spelling patterns. The book delineates the task of decoding written English, providing the conceptual background necessary for informed discussions about how best to help students learn the phonics skills. It can be used as a primary text in courses that focus on various methods for teaching reading-decoding and spelling; a supplementary text in virtually any course about reading skills; a reference for teachers whose students need help with learning sounds and letter patterns; a resource book for parents who are home-schooling their children; and an informative guide for anyone who is actively involved in someone else's reading instruction. After a preface, chapters in the book are: (1) A Few Words about Words; (2) Vowels and Consonants; (3) Syllables; (4) Multisyllable Words; and (5) Phonemic Awareness. Two appendixes address teaching the sounds for consonants and vowels, and list prefixes and suffixes. The book also provides present answers for exercise sheets and an annotated list of five suggestions for further reading. (RS)