Letters Make Sounds

Letters have names, but they also make sounds. When we read, we use the sounds. The letter name of M is “em”, but the sound it makes is /m/, like the start of moon. Today we will listen to the sounds letters make.

Names and sounds are different

Say “B”. That is the letter’s name. Now say the first sound of ball. That is the letter’s sound: /b/. When you see a letter between two slashes, like /b/, it means “say the sound”.

Keep the sounds short

Try to say sounds short and clean. Say /b/, not “buh”. Say /t/, not “tuh”. Short sounds make it easier to join sounds together later.

Sound words for every letter

Here is a picture word for every letter. Say the word, then say just the first sound.

Some letters are special

A few letters like to change. The letter c often says /k/ like cat, but sometimes /s/ like city. The letter g often says /g/ like goat, but sometimes /j/ like giraffe. The letter q nearly always comes with u, as in queen. You do not need to remember all of this yet. Just know that letters can surprise you!

Feel the sounds

Put your hand in front of your mouth and say /p/. Can you feel a puff of air? Now hum /m/ with your lips closed. Can you feel them buzz? Every sound feels a little different in your mouth.

Example

Ravi looked at his toy car. He said “car” slowly: /k/ … ar. “Car starts with /k/!” he said. The letter that makes that sound in car is c.

Key takeaways

• Letters have names and sounds.
• We use letter sounds when we read.
• Keep sounds short: /b/, not “buh”.
• Some letters, like c and g, can make more than one sound.

Practice

Say the first sound of each word, then name the letter: sun, fish, ten, mop, lion.

Answers: sun starts with /s/ (s), fish with /f/ (f), ten with /t/ (t), mop with /m/ (m), and lion with /l/ (l).