Unit 1
Sounds of letters
All 26 letters and the sounds they make. Start here if reading feels new.
1
M m — the /m/ sound
Lips together, hum gently. M is the sound at the start of mum.
2
A a — the /a/ sound
Mouth open, short and sharp. A is the sound at the start of apple.
3
S s — the /s/ sound
Teeth together, hiss like a snake. S is the sound at the start of sun.
4
T t — the /t/ sound
Tongue behind your top teeth, sharp tap. T is the sound at the start of top.
5
P p — the /p/ sound
Lips together, little puff of air. P is the sound at the start of pat.
6
I i — the /i/ sound
Short and bright. I is the sound at the start of sit.
7
N n — the /n/ sound
Tongue on the roof, hum through your nose. N is the sound at the start of nut.
8
C c — the /c/ sound
Back of the tongue, short sharp click. C is the sound at the start of cat.
9
E e — the /e/ sound
Mouth slightly open, short and clear. E is the sound at the start of egg.
10
H h — the /h/ sound
Just a soft breath out — huh. H is the sound at the start of hat.
11
R r — the /r/ sound
Lips rounded, growl gently. R is the sound at the start of run.
12
D d — the /d/ sound
Tongue taps behind your top teeth. D is the sound at the start of dog.
13
G g — the /g/ sound
Back of the tongue, voiced — like a soft gulp. G is the sound at the start of got.
14
O o — the /o/ sound
Round your lips, short — ‘o’. O is the sound at the start of ox.
15
U u — the /u/ sound
Open mouth, short — ‘uh’. U is the sound at the start of up.
16
L l — the /l/ sound
Tongue tip on the roof, long ‘lll’. L is the sound at the start of log.
17
F f — the /f/ sound
Top teeth on bottom lip, blow. F is the sound at the start of fan.
18
B b — the /b/ sound
Lips together, then pop them open. B is the sound at the start of bat.
19
J j — the /j/ sound
Soft squish at the front of your mouth. J is the sound at the start of jam.
20
W w — the /w/ sound
Lips rounded, blow gently — ‘wuh’. W is the sound at the start of wet.
21
V v — the /v/ sound
Top teeth on bottom lip, buzz. V is the sound at the start of van.
22
Y y — the /y/ sound
Smile, tongue forward — ‘yuh’. Y is the sound at the start of yes.
23
K k — the /k/ sound
Same as the hard /c/ — back of the tongue, sharp. K is the sound at the start of kite.
24
X x — the /x/ sound
Two sounds together: /k/ then /s/. X is the sound at the start of box.
25
Z z — the /z/ sound
Like /s/ but buzzed — ‘zzz’. Z is the sound at the start of zip.
26
Q q — the /q/ sound
Almost always with u — sounds like ‘kw’. Q is the sound at the start of queen.