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Phonics: the sounds letters make

Learn the sound each letter makes and blend sounds together to read short words like cat, pen and sun.

Get the whole book: English for classes 1 and 2 (6 lessons, free to print)

Let us begin

The big idea

Every letter has a name and a sound. When we put sounds together, we can read a word! Let us listen carefully and say each sound out loud.

The letter b says "buh", the letter c says "kuh" and the letter t says "tuh". We say the sound, not the name of the letter.

The letters a, e, i, o and u are called vowels. Almost every word needs a vowel. The other letters are called consonants.

To read the word cat, say the three sounds slowly: c, a, t. Then say them faster and faster until they join: cat. This is called blending.

Short words with a vowel in the middle are easy to start with. Words like pen, sun, pig and hop all have three sounds.

Blending the word catThree boxes show the sounds c, a and t. Lines join them to the whole word cat. c a t cat kuh a tuh
Say each sound, then push the sounds together to read the word.

Worked examples

See how it works

  1. Blending cat

    The sounds are c, a, t. Say them slowly, then push them together: cat. Now change the first sound to b and you get bat. Change it to m and you get mat.

  2. Blending sun

    The sounds are s, u, n. Say "s... u... n" and then say sun. The vowel in the middle is u. Change the last sound to m and you get sum.

  3. Counting sounds

    The word pig has 3 sounds: p, i, g. The word it has 2 sounds: i, t. The word a has just 1 sound. Count the sounds on your fingers.

Try it at home

Sound hunt at home

You will need

  • A pencil
  • A sheet of paper
  • Things around your house

What to do

  1. Pick one letter, for example m.
  2. Walk around your home and find three things that start with the sound m, such as mug, mat or mango.
  3. Write each word on the paper and say it slowly, sound by sound.
  4. Draw a small picture next to each word.
  5. Pick a new letter and do it again.

Ask a grown-up: An adult can say the sounds with you and help spell the words.

Practice sheet

Check what you learned

Write your answers in a notebook, or print this sheet and write on it. When you finish, mark your work with the answer key.

Practice sheet: Phonics: the sounds letters make (Classes 1-2, English)

  1. Which letters are vowels?
  2. Say the sounds of the word dog. What are they?
  3. Blend these sounds: h, a, t. What word do you get?
  4. Change the first sound of cat to r. What new word do you make?
  5. How many sounds are in the word pen?
  6. Which sound does the word sun start with?
  7. Which sound does the word bus end with?
  8. Which word is made by the sounds p, i, g?
  9. Name two words that start with the sound m.
  10. Is the letter t a vowel or a consonant?

Answer key

Answers: Phonics: the sounds letters make

Do the practice sheet first, then check here. If an answer is different from yours, read the lesson again and try once more.

  1. a, e, i, o and u.
  2. d, o, g.
  3. hat.
  4. rat.
  5. 3 sounds: p, e, n.
  6. s.
  7. s.
  8. pig.
  9. Sample answers: mat, mug, mango, moon. Any word that starts with m is right.
  10. A consonant.

What next

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