What's the difference between letters and sounds?

Put simply, letters are written and sounds are spoken.  It is important that we do not confuse these two functions.

When we talk about letter-sound links we mean the identification of a sound associated with an individual letter or letter combination.  It is vital that a learner can automatically link the letter or letters they see with the corresponding sound.  Many learners will need lots of practice and overlearning to develop these skills.  Watch this clip to help clear up any confusion about the terms letters and sounds (phonemes):

If video clips are not loading on ipad, follow the steps below to rectify this:

Go to Settings - Safari-Clear History and Website Data

Here are the phonemes we find in a Scotland accent and watch the clip below to see how each is pronounced: