The decision, in order
Each word is checked on its own, in this sequence. The first rule that applies decides the verdict.
- If the word is in the profile's whole words, it is decodable — a sight word is read as a unit, so its spelling doesn't matter.
- If any letter or letter combination is not a Kiswahili grapheme at all (an
x, a stray c), the word is not decodable. - If any grapheme is valid but has not been taught, the word is not decodable.
- If any consonant cluster is untaught — neither listed directly nor covered by a taught cluster pattern — the word is not decodable.
- Otherwise it is decodable.
Graphemes and clusters
A grapheme is the smallest written unit that maps to one sound. In Kiswahili some are single letters (a, k) and some are pairs or triples (ch, ny, ng'). The word is split by longest match first, so ng'ombe starts with ng', not n + g.
A cluster is any run of two or more consonant graphemes in a row. Clusters are checked separately from graphemes, because knowing n and z on their own does not mean a learner can blend nz.
Cluster patterns
Teaching a pattern such as "m/n" + consonant covers every cluster built that way at once, rather than listing dozens individually. Loan clusters that follow no Kiswahili pattern — st in stesheni, br in brashi — have to be listed one by one.
Not in scope
- Nothing is saved. Profiles and passages live only in this browser tab.
- No readability, vocabulary or comprehension scoring — decodability only.
- No syllable division. The check operates at the grapheme and cluster levels, and the display follows suit.
About these presets
The preset profiles here are illustrative placeholders. The real Tusome progression — roughly 150 profiles across the curriculum — has not been wired in yet, so preset inventories should not be read as the actual Tusome sequence.
