Making English Decodable: How Glyphs Help Multilingual Learners Read with Confidence

“Field” or “Filed?” For so many multilingual learners, English spelling and pronunciation can present a puzzle. Words that look familiar often sound entirely different, such as wolf and golf, or ratio and patio. As Director of Literacy Research at Readable English, I’ve seen firsthand how a seemingly small innovation - a system of glyphs - can create that instant aha moment. Suddenly, students can hear the word in their minds before saying it. They don’t have to guess or memorize; they just follow the cues. With that clarity comes confidence, especially in speaking aloud, because they know they’re pronouncing words correctly, not taking a risk.

But what exactly is a "glyph" and why are these marks so effective for multilingual learners? 

What Is a Glyph?

In the context of literacy instruction, a glyph is a visual mark added to a letter or word to indicate pronunciation. Glyphs can take many forms, but they are rooted in an idea that’s familiar to speakers of languages with transparent orthographies or languages that use diacritical marks. Think of the umlauts (¨) in German, the tilde (ñ) in Spanish, or the accents (é, è, ê) in French. These marks provide key information about the sound a letter makes in a particular word.

English, on the other hand, rarely gives readers such help, even though its spelling can be wildly unpredictable. By leveraging a set of 21 glyphs as clear pronunciation guides, Readable English follows in the tradition of diacritical marks, making English’s tricky words far more accessible for all learners, especially those new to the language.

Why is phonetic markup, including glyphs, so Powerful?

For students, especially those learning English as an additional language, inconsistent spelling patterns can cloud their ability to decode and comprehend. Many of these students come from home languages with reliable, sound-to-letter correspondence (like Spanish or Turkish), or they are familiar with diacritical systems (such as Vietnamese or Arabic script). When they encounter English without guidance, the unpredictable sound-symbol rules can feel like a wall. 

Here is where the phonetic markup, specifically the glyphs, brings immense value: 

• Cracking the English Code: Readable English identifies when a letter makes its regular sound, an irregular sound, or is silent, and it marks syllable breaks clearly. Students no longer rely on rote memorization or guesswork. They can see how to pronounce the word.

• Accelerated Decoding and Fluency: When students know exactly how to sound out a word, they can move quickly from word recognition to fluent reading and comprehension.

• Empowering Multilingual Learners: For students whose home languages are transparent (one letter, one sound) or who are used to diacritics, the glyphs feel familiar. English begins to resemble the structured, supportive systems they’re used to.

More than just decoding: A Tool for Differentiation

The glyphs don’t just support pronunciation, they streamline instruction. In diverse classrooms, they serve as a clear, adaptable scaffold that makes it easier for all students to access the same content. Teachers spend less time on assisting decoding and more time on meaningful reading and comprehension.

By making English pronunciation visible, glyphs give multilingual learners the tools to succeed independently, without requiring changes to the curriculum or added instructional time.

Seeing REal Results

In partner schools like Firebaugh Middle School in California, teachers have seen how using Readable English glyphs produces transformation. Students who once stumbled through “field” and “filed” now read with confidence. Their fluency translates into stronger comprehension, greater academic success, and renewed enthusiasm for learning.

As we look to the future, our hope is that more schools and districts will recognize the value of this simple yet profound intervention. With glyphs, every multilingual learner can cross the bridge to confident, independent reading.

Interested in learning more? Contact us or schedule a demo to discover how Readable English, redefining literacy success for all learners, one glyph at a time.