Beginning Letter Sounds

Kindergarten · English · Study Guide

Learn how to listen for and identify the first sound in a word.

Every word starts with a sound! The beginning sound is the very first sound you hear when you say a word.

When we say the word 'cat,' the first sound is /k/. The letter C makes that sound. When we say 'dog,' the first sound is /d/. The letter D makes that sound.

You can find the beginning sound by saying a word slowly and listening carefully to what comes first. Try stretching out the word: 'sssun.' The first sound is /s/, and the letter S makes that sound.

Practicing beginning sounds helps you learn to read and spell words. When you pick up a book and see a word you don't know, you can look at the first letter and think about its sound to help you figure out the word.

Let's think about some fun words. 'Ball' starts with /b/. 'Fish' starts with /f/. 'Mitten' starts with /m/. 'Penguin' starts with /p/. See if you can think of other words that start with the same sounds!

Key terms

beginning sound

The very first sound you hear at the start of a word

letter

A symbol in the alphabet that stands for a sound

consonant

A letter that is not a vowel, like B, C, D, or F

vowel

The letters A, E, I, O, and U

sound

What you hear when you say a letter or word out loud

Flashcards

Apple

Starts with the sound /a/ — the letter A

Ball

Starts with the sound /b/ — the letter B

Cat

Starts with the sound /k/ — the letter C

Dog

Starts with the sound /d/ — the letter D

Fish

Starts with the sound /f/ — the letter F

Hat

Starts with the sound /h/ — the letter H

Jar

Starts with the sound /j/ — the letter J

Kite

Starts with the sound /k/ — the letter K

Questions

1. What is the beginning sound in the word 'sun'?

   1. /n/
   2. /s/
   3. /u/
   4. /t/
   Show answer

   Answer: /s/

   Sun starts with the /s/ sound, made by the letter S.

2. The word 'ball' starts with the sound /b/.

   Show answer

   Answer: True

   Ball does start with the /b/ sound, made by the letter B.

3. Which word starts with the same sound as 'dog'?

   1. cat
   2. bear
   3. duck
   4. fish
   Show answer

   Answer: duck

   Duck starts with /d/, the same sound as dog.

4. The word 'moon' starts with the letter ___.

   Show answer

   Answer: m

   Moon begins with the letter M, which makes the /m/ sound.

5. The word 'pig' starts with the sound /b/.

   Show answer

   Answer: False

   Pig starts with /p/, not /b/. They are different sounds.

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