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Turn your lesson files into printable ELS phonics flashcards

Printable sets work best when they come from your own lesson material. Upload your phonics handouts, slides or photos and DeckOwl builds the cards, then you can export them as a PDF on a paid plan.

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Drop files here or browsePDF, DOCX, PPTX, text or photos of your notes · several files with Plus

Free · First set needs no signup · Creates flashcards in seconds

Why generate your own printable phonics cards

Ready-made printable ELS phonics flashcards rarely match the sounds you teach in the order you teach them. A card set built from your own scope and sequence keeps students working on the patterns that show up in your lessons.

Use one card per sound or pattern, with a sample word on the back.
Group cards by unit so you can print and send home one set at a time.
Keep images of pictures or word lists in the source file so the cards stay in context.
Review the first print run with a colleague or a small group before handing it out.

Example ELS phonics flashcards for beginning readers

What sound do the letters ch make in chair?/ch/, a single sound made by the consonant digraph ch, not /c/ plus /h/.

What is a consonant digraph?Two letters that together make one sound, such as sh, th, ch or ng.

Why does the i in bike say its name?The silent e at the end makes the vowel long, so i says /ī/.

What sound do the vowels oa make in boat?/ō/, a vowel team where the first vowel usually says its long sound.

What is a closed syllable?A syllable ending in a consonant, so the vowel is usually short, as in hat or sun.

Generate the full set

Built from your lessons

Upload the PDFs, slides, notes or photos you already use in class and get cards that match your sound list and word examples.

Spaced repetition

Cards you miss come back sooner, so students review letter sounds right before they start to forget them.

Print or export

Plus includes PDF and CSV export, so you can print a ready set or move the cards into Anki.

How it works

Upload your material

Add a PDF, DOCX, PPTX, text file or a photo of a phonics page. Photos are read with text recognition.

Review the cards

Check the sounds, digraphs and example words, then edit anything that does not fit your learners.

Export and print

Export to PDF on Plus and print the set, or study in the browser on the free plan.

Start with one unit, such as short vowels or consonant digraphs, and generate cards from that section. Keep each set small enough that learners can finish it in one sitting, then add the next unit once the first one feels familiar.

Spaced repetition helps the sounds stick across weeks, not just the day of the lesson. Students see the cards they struggle with more often and the ones they know less often.

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Frequently asked questions

What phonics skills should ELS flashcards cover?

Most beginning sets cover letter-sound pairs, consonant digraphs like sh and ch, vowel teams, and silent e patterns. Build each set around the skills your class is working on that week.

How many phonics cards should a beginner study at once?

Around 10 to 15 new cards per session is a manageable amount for most beginners. Spaced repetition brings back the harder ones more often, so the set can grow over time.

Can I print the flashcards?

Printing needs a PDF export, which is included in the Plus plan at $39/year or $7.99/month. Students can study the cards in the browser on the free plan.

Is there a free plan?

Yes, the free plan includes 3 generations per month and browser study, with no exports. No credit card is needed to start, and students get 40% off with a school email.

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Keep exploring the topic

Review the main ideas visually or practice recalling them.