Jolly Phonics Group Five: Sounds, Actions and Words to Read
Group Five of Jolly Phonics teaches the sounds z, w, ng, v, oo (long), oo (short). Each sound comes with a story, an action and a song to help your child remember it, then gets used straight away for blending into real words.
The 6 Sounds in Group Five
bee
Buzz like a bee
wind
Blow like the wind
strong
Lift the weight — strong!
van
Steer the van
moon
Make a cuckoo bird movement
book
Make a cuckoo bird movement
oo is taught as two separate sounds in the same group, because the same two letters are pronounced differently in different words — long in moon, short in book. There's no reliable spelling rule for which is which; children learn it word by word through reading practice.
Words Your Child Can Read After This Group
Combined with everything learned so far, your child can now read words like:
Sounds in This Group Children Often Find Hard
v and w
Often merged into one sound by children who speak Indian languages at home, so vet and wet sound the same. For /v/, top teeth gently on the bottom lip; for /w/, round the lips like blowing out a candle.
z
Sometimes said as /j/, so zip becomes "jip". Practise it as a buzzing /s/: same tongue position, with voice added, like a bee.
Practising Group Five at Home
- One sound a day, with two minutes of revision of everything learned so far.
- Say pure sounds, not "suh" or "tuh" — see our full guide to how to say each sound correctly.
- Use the action every time. It's a memory trigger, not just for fun.
- Blend as soon as you have three or four sounds from this group — don't wait until the whole group is finished.
This fits inside our full 15-minute daily phonics routine, part of the complete guide to teaching phonics at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
What sounds are in Group 5 of Jolly Phonics? +
Group 5 is z, w, ng, v, oo (long), oo (short).
What words can my child read after Group 5? +
Words such as zip, wet, ring, van become readable, along with any words combining these sounds with sounds from earlier groups.
How long should we spend on one group? +
Most children learn about one new sound a day with daily revision, so one group takes roughly a week, followed by ongoing practice while moving on to the next.
Should we move on if my child hasn't mastered every sound yet? +
A little unevenness is normal. If your child is clearly stuck on more than one sound in the group, spend a few extra days revising before moving on, rather than pushing ahead.