Phonics guide
Letter sounds A to Z: a phonics chart for kids, with actions
Before children can read, they need to know the sound each letter makes, not just its name. Here is every letter from A to Z with its sound, three picture words and an action that helps young children remember it, plus simple ways to practise at home.
By the Eloqova team · Updated 23 October 2026
Letter names and letter sounds are different
The alphabet song teaches letter names: "ay, bee, see". Reading uses letter sounds: the short "a" in apple, the "b" in ball, the "k" in cat. A child who says "see-ay-tee" cannot hear the word cat, but a child who says "k-a-t" can. That is why phonics starts with sounds.
Keep each sound short and clean. Say "mmm", not "muh", and "sss", not "suh". The extra "uh" makes blending harder later.
The A to Z letter sounds chart
The sound is written between slashes. Say the sound, say the words, then do the action together.
| Letter | Sound | Picture words | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| A a | /a/ | apple, ant, arrow | Wiggle your fingers up your arm like tiny ants: a, a, a! |
| B b | /b/ | ball, bus, banana | Bounce a ball with your hand: b, b, b! |
| C c | /k/ | cat, cup, car | Make cat ears on your head: c, c, c! |
| D d | /d/ | dog, duck, drum | Beat a drum on your knees: d, d, d! |
| E e | /e/ | egg, elephant, envelope | Crack an egg into a pan: e, e, e! |
| F f | /f/ | fish, fan, frog | Swim your hand like a fish: fff! |
| G g | /g/ | goat, grapes, gift | Hold your throat and gulp water: g, g, g! |
| H h | /h/ | hat, hen, house | Hand in front of your mouth, pant like a puppy: h, h, h! |
| I i | /i/ | igloo, insect, ink | Wiggle your fingers like a little insect: i, i, i! |
| J j | /j/ | jam, jug, jet | Wobble like jelly on a plate: j, j, j! |
| K k | /k/ | kite, key, king | Fly a kite high with both hands: k, k, k! |
| L l | /l/ | lion, leaf, lemon | Lick a lolly: lll! |
| M m | /m/ | moon, monkey, mango | Rub your tummy: mmm, yummy! |
| N n | /n/ | nest, net, nut | Arms out like a plane: nnn! |
| O o | /o/ | octopus, orange, ostrich | Make a big round O with your mouth: o, o, o! |
| P p | /p/ | pig, pen, pizza | Puff out a candle: p, p, p! |
| Q q | /kw/ | queen, quilt, question | Make a duck beak with your hands: qu, qu, qu! |
| R r | /r/ | rabbit, ring, rainbow | Hop like a rabbit: r, r, r! |
| S s | /s/ | sun, sock, star | Wiggle your arm like a snake: sss! |
| T t | /t/ | tiger, tent, tomato | Tap your toes: t, t, t! |
| U u | /u/ | umbrella, up, under | Open an umbrella over your head: u, u, u! |
| V v | /v/ | van, vase, violin | Drive a van with a big steering wheel: vvv! |
| W w | /w/ | web, watch, window | Blow on your hand like the wind: w, w, w! |
| X x | /ks/ | box, fox, six | Cross your arms to make an X: ks, ks! |
| Y y | /y/ | yo-yo, yak, yarn | Spin a yo-yo up and down: y, y, y! |
| Z z | /z/ | zebra, zip, zero | Buzz like a bee: zzz! |
A few letters need extra care: c and k make the same sound, q almost always comes with u to make "kw", and x makes "ks" at the end of words like box and fox.
In what order should children learn letter sounds?
A to Z works well at home because children already know the order from the song. Many teachers start with s, a, t, p, i and n instead, because with just those six sounds a child can already read words like sat, pin, tap and nap. Either order is fine. What matters more is a little practice every day and going back over old sounds often.
How to practise letter sounds at home
- One or two new sounds a week. Five minutes a day is enough. Young children learn faster from short, happy practice than from long sessions.
- Sound hunt. Pick today's sound and look around the house for things that start with it: "Can you find something that starts with mmm?"
- I spy with sounds. "I spy something beginning with /b/", not "beginning with bee".
- Use the actions. Moving while saying the sound helps it stick, especially for active children.
- Trace and say. Trace the letter in sand, rice or on a steamy window while saying its sound.
- Move on to blending once your child knows about 6 to 8 sounds. Our CVC words guide shows how.
Free printable: Lumi's Alphabet Train worksheets
13 pages of A to Z phonics worksheets in five colourful "stations": tracing big and small letters, finding the sound in pictures, two A to Z review sheets, and a certificate for when your child knows every sound. Print them at home, no sign-up needed.
Download the A to Z phonics worksheets (PDF)
More printables for every class are on our free resources page.
How Eloqova can help
Eloqova runs live 1:1 online phonics classes for UKG to Grade 3, with games, stories and actions made for young children. In a free 1:1 demo session, a trainer checks which sounds your child already knows and shows you what to practise next. The demo takes about an hour and needs no payment.