Phonics is teaching children how letters and groups of letters stand for sounds, so they can sound out (decode) new words when reading and spell words by their sounds when writing.

What age do children learn phonics?

Most children start letter sounds at 4 or 5, in pre-K or kindergarten, and work through digraphs, blends and long vowels in kindergarten to 2nd grade.

A three-letter word made of a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, like cat, pig or sun. They are usually the first words children sound out.

What is the difference between a digraph and a blend?

In a digraph, two letters make one new sound (sh in ship). In a blend, you can still hear each letter's sound (s and t in stop).

Are these phonics worksheets free?

Yes. The practice questions, word lists, flash cards and printable sheets are all free, with no sign-up.

kindergarten to 2nd grade · free

Phonics practice and worksheets

Free phonics for beginning readers: practice questions with hints, word lists for every stage from CVC words to vowel teams that read aloud when tapped, and printable cards, tracing sheets and word searches.

Phonics in the order children learn it

Letter sounds: one sound for each letter, starting with s, a, t, p, i and n, which make lots of little words straight away.
Blending CVC words: consonant, vowel, consonant, like c-a-t, said sound by sound and then pushed together.
Digraphs: two letters that make one sound, like sh, ch, th, ck and ng.
Blends: two or three consonants side by side where you still hear each one, like st, fl, tr and nd.
Magic e: an e at the end makes the vowel say its name, so cap becomes cape and kit becomes kite.
Vowel teams: two vowels that work together, like ai, ee, oa and igh, often for the same long sounds.
R-controlled vowels: ar, or, er, ir and ur, where the r changes the vowel's sound.

Practice now

Question 1 of 100 correct

Say the word "goose" slowly. Which letter does it start with? Type the letter.

g+o+o+s+e

Print a worksheet with answers Share to Google ClassroomFree, no sign-up. Nothing you type is saved.

Phonics word lists

Tap a word to hear it. Each list prints as word cards, a tracing sheet, a word search or a spelling test.

Kindergarten · 20 words

CVC words: short a

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

Kindergarten · 19 words

CVC words: short e

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

Kindergarten · 20 words

CVC words: short i

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

Kindergarten · 20 words

CVC words: short o

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

Kindergarten · 20 words

CVC words: short u

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

1st grade · 23 words

Digraphs: sh, ch, th, wh, ck, ng

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

1st grade · 20 words

Blends at the start: bl, cl, fl, sl, st, tr, dr, gr, sn, sp

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

1st grade · 20 words

Blends at the end: nd, nt, st, mp, sk, lt

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

1st grade · 20 words

Magic e: a_e, i_e, o_e, u_e

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

1st and 2nd grade · 20 words

Vowel teams: ai, ay, ee, ea

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

2nd grade · 20 words

Vowel teams: oa, ow, igh, oo, ue

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

2nd grade · 20 words

R-controlled vowels: ar, or, er, ir, ur

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

Kindergarten and 1st grade · 18 words

Word families: -at, -ig, -op, -ug, -ell, -ing

🖨️ Word cards ✏️ Tracing sheet 🔎 Word search 📝 Spelling test 🔊 Test on screen

How to practice phonics at home

Say the pure sound: "mmm", not "muh". Short, clean sounds blend into words much more easily.
Point under each letter as you say its sound, then sweep your finger under the whole word as you blend.
Use magnetic letters or cards to change one sound at a time: cat, cap, map, mop.
Read decodable books that only use the sounds already taught, so your child can succeed on every page.
Mix in sight words, since some common words don't follow the patterns yet.

Phonics and spelling go together

Reading turns letters into sounds; spelling turns sounds into letters. Practicing both with the same word list makes each one stronger. Every list on this page opens as a spelling test that reads the words aloud, and prints as cards, a tracing sheet or a word search.

Sight words Spelling test generator Tracing worksheets Kindergarten English

Phonics flash cards

Word list

cat

0 of 20 known · 20 to go

Questions parents ask

What is phonics?: Phonics is teaching children how letters and groups of letters stand for sounds, so they can sound out (decode) new words when reading and spell words by their sounds when writing.
What age do children learn phonics?: Most children start letter sounds at 4 or 5, in pre-K or kindergarten, and work through digraphs, blends and long vowels in kindergarten to 2nd grade.
What is a CVC word?: A three-letter word made of a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, like cat, pig or sun. They are usually the first words children sound out.
What is the difference between a digraph and a blend?: In a digraph, two letters make one new sound (sh in ship). In a blend, you can still hear each letter's sound (s and t in stop).
Are these phonics worksheets free?: Yes. The practice questions, word lists, flash cards and printable sheets are all free, with no sign-up.

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