Mixed Decoding
15 free practice questions with explanations
PassNova has 15 free Phonics Screening Check practice questions on Mixed Decoding, each with a clear explanation. Practise them in the browser with instant feedback — 100% free, no sign-up, on any device. Updated for 2026.
Mixed Decoding: example questions & answers
12 worked examples with answers and explanations below. Practise all 15 Mixed Decoding questions free in the browser, with instant feedback on every answer.
Which word can you decode using phonics?
- Awere
- Bcat✓
- Cfrom
- Dthere
Answer: Cat can be decoded using phonics (/c/ /a/ /t/). Were, from, and there are tricky words.
Which word has the 'long i' sound made by 'i_e'?
- Abit
- Btime✓
- Ctin
- Dsit
Answer: Time has the long 'i' sound made by the 'i_e' split digraph. Bit, tin, and sit have short 'i' sounds.
Which word has a 'sh' digraph?
- Ashape✓
- Bshop
- Csheet
- Dshine
Answer: Shape has a 'sh' digraph at the start. Shop, sheet, and shine also have 'sh' digraphs.
Which word has the 'ear' trigraph?
- Ahear✓
- Bhead
- Cheat
- Dhelp
Answer: Hear has the 'ear' trigraph. Head, heat, and help have different vowel patterns.
Which word has two consonants at the start that blend together?
- Astop✓
- Bshop
- Cthat
- Dthin
Answer: Stop has a blend of /s/ /t/ at the start. Shop, that, and thin have digraphs (two letters making one sound).
Which word has the 'igh' trigraph?
- Alight✓
- Bleg
- Cleft
- Dlet
Answer: Light has the 'igh' trigraph which makes the long 'i' sound. Leg, left, and let have short 'e' sounds.
Which word has the 'air' trigraph?
- Ahair✓
- Bhat
- Cham
- Dhand
Answer: Hair has the 'air' trigraph. Hat, ham, and hand have short 'a' sounds.
Which word can be decoded using the 'oa' digraph?
- Acoat✓
- Bcat
- Ccot
- Dcut
Answer: Coat has the 'oa' digraph which makes the long 'o' sound. Cat, cot, and cut have short vowel sounds.
Which word has the sounds /p/ /l/ /ai/ /n/?
- Aplain✓
- Bpan
- Cplan
- Dpen
Answer: Plain has the sounds /p/ /l/ /ai/ /n/ where 'ai' is a digraph. Pan and pen have short vowels, plan is /p/ /l/ /a/ /n/.
Which word has the long 'o' sound with the 'o_e' split digraph?
- Anot
- Bnote✓
- Cnod
- Dnor
Answer: Note has the long 'o' sound made by 'o_e'. Not, nod, and nor have short 'o' sounds.
Which word has the 'ee' vowel digraph?
- Amean✓
- Bman
- Cmen
- Dmint
Answer: Mean has the 'ee' digraph (made by 'ea'). Man, men, and mint have short vowels.
Which word has the 'ng' digraph at the end?
- Asting✓
- Bstun
- Cstand
- Dstep
Answer: Sting ends with the 'ng' digraph. Stun, stand, and step have different endings.