Phonics · lesson 1 of 24 · free

Beginning sounds a–f — Phonics for kids

Every word starts with a sound. Say “ball” slowly and you hear the b sound first. In this lesson your child listens to words with pictures and finds the ones that start with a, b, c, d, e and f.

▶ Watch how it works

Got it? Practise ↓

How the sounds work

Listen to the first sound — “say the word slowly — the very first sound tells you the letter”

  1. Say the word slowly, stretching the start: b… ball.
  2. The first sound you hear tells you the first letter: ball starts with b.
  3. Words that start with the same sound start alike: ball, bus, bat. (c and k can make the same sound: cat, kite.)

Use it for: Learning the alphabet, reading the first letter of new words, and the first steps of spelling.

Worked example: Which picture starts like “ball”? → bus

  1. Say “ball” slowly. Its first sound is the sound of the letter “b”.
  2. “bus” starts with the same sound. The other pictures (cat, dice) start with other sounds.

Check: b… ball and b… bus — both start with the b sound ✓

▶ Watch it animated

✏️ Practice

Listen (🔊), look at the pictures, then tap the answer. Grown-ups: read the question together.

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🏁 Lesson 1 test

20 questions. Check each answer, then go to the next one. Get 16 or more right to pass.

🏅 Sign in with Google to earn the 🐣 First Sound Finder badge when you pass — and a certificate when you finish all 7 lessons of Part 1 · Letter sounds. You can still take the test without signing in.

🖨️ Beginning Sounds Phonics Worksheets (a–f)

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