English Letter Sounds for Kids (Phonics) with Pictures and Audio
To read a word like cat, a child needs the letters’ sounds, not their names: “c… a… t”, then blends them: cat! Here is the sound of every letter with a word that starts with it. Tap a picture to hear the word.
In This Lesson
- The sound of every letter from a to z
- A word and a picture for each sound
- How children blend sounds to read
Letter Sounds in English with Audio
Tap a card to hear the word. Its Arabic meaning is underneath.
Game: Listen and Touch
Listen to the word, then touch its picture.
This Lesson in the App
The letter rises off the page, Sara says its sound, and pictures of its words pop out.
- Your child hears the letter’s sound twice.
- They say the word aloud and get feedback on their pronunciation.
- Detective game: hear a sound and find its picture.
- They write the letter with a finger on the screen.
Open the book to The Sounds page in every unit and point your phone at the page.
Letter Sounds in English and Arabic
| English | Arabic |
|---|---|
| apple | صوت A: «أَ» · تفاحة |
| ball | صوت B: «بْ» · كرة |
| cat | صوت C: «كْ» · قطة |
| duck | صوت D: «دْ» · بطة |
| egg | صوت E: «إِ» · بيضة |
| fish | صوت F: «فْ» · سمكة |
| goat | صوت G: «گْ» · ماعز |
| hat | صوت H: «هْ» · قبعة |
| igloo | صوت I: «إِ» · بيت الثلج |
| jet | صوت J: «جْ» · طائرة نفاثة |
| key | صوت K: «كْ» · مفتاح |
| lion | صوت L: «لْ» · أسد |
| moon | صوت M: «مْ» · قمر |
| nest | صوت N: «نْ» · عش |
| octopus | صوت O: «أُ» · أخطبوط |
| panda | صوت P: «پْ» · باندا |
| queen | صوت Q: «كْوْ» · ملكة |
| rabbit | صوت R: «رْ» · أرنب |
| sun | صوت S: «سْ» · شمس |
| tiger | صوت T: «تْ» · نمر |
| umbrella | صوت U: «أَ» · مظلة |
| van | صوت V: «ڤْ» · شاحنة صغيرة |
| water | صوت W: «وْ» · ماء |
| fox | صوت X: «كْس» · ثعلب |
| yoyo | صوت Y: «يْ» · يويو |
| zebra | صوت Z: «زْ» · حمار وحشي |
Sentences Your Child Can Use
- c – a – t… cat!نقول الأصوات ثم نجمعها: قطة
- s – u – n… sun!شمس
- b – e – d… bed!سرير
Parents’ Corner
- Keep the sound short: “b”, not “buh”. A long sound makes blending harder.
- Start with s, a, t, p, i, n: they make lots of words, like sat, pin and tap.
- Play “I hear a sound”: say “sss”, and your child looks for something that starts with it.
- After three sounds, blend them into a word together: a… t… at!
Common Mistakes: Letter Sounds
Some English sounds don’t exist in Arabic, so children often get them wrong. Here’s how to help:
The sound is short and clipped: “b”. A long sound turns cat into “cuh-a-tuh”.
th has two sounds: soft in three, voiced in this. The tongue goes between the teeth.
In short words it makes the short “a” sound: cat is said “kat”, not “kayt”.
They usually share one sound, “k”: cat and key start the same way.
Easy Words Children Can Read by Sound
| Word | Sounds | Arabic |
|---|---|---|
| cat | c – a – t | قطة |
| bat | b – a – t | خفاش |
| map | m – a – p | خريطة |
| sun | s – u – n | شمس |
| pen | p – e – n | قلم |
| bed | b – e – d | سرير |
| pig | p – i – g | خنزير |
| sit | s – i – t | يجلس |
| dog | d – o – g | كلب |
| hot | h – o – t | ساخن |
| bus | b – u – s | حافلة |
| cup | c – u – p | كوب |
A 5-Day Plan for Parents
Ten minutes a day is enough. Review yesterday’s words before new ones.
- Day 1: the sounds s a t p.
- Day 2: the sounds i n m d.
- Day 3: blend words: sat, pin, tap.
- Day 4: the sounds g o c k.
- Day 5: play “I hear a sound” around the house.
Printable Letter Sounds Worksheets (PDF)
Ten different sheets: trace, match, write, word search, unscramble and cut-out cards. The full lesson is in The “Sounds” page in each of the eight units of the free book.
Frequently Asked Questions: Letter Sounds
What is phonics?
A way of teaching reading through letter sounds: the child learns each letter’s sound, then blends the sounds to read a word.
At what age should children start letter sounds?
From about 4, once they know the names of some letters.
Why does c have two sounds?
It usually sounds like “k”, as in cat; before e and i it sounds like “s”, as in city. Start with “k”.
In what order should the sounds be taught?
As in the book: s a t p first, then i n m d, then g o c k, and so on. This order lets children build words early.
Articles for Parents
What Is Phonics? A Parents’ Guide to Teaching English Letter Sounds 
English Letter Sounds for Kids (PDF): Written Out and with Audio 
English Digraphs sh, ch and th and How to Say Them 
How Your Child Reads Their First English Word: The c-a-t Method How Can I Help My Child Learn the English Alphabet Easily? 12 Games and a One-Week Plan My Child Mixes Up b and d (and p and b): Writing, Pronunciation and a Two-Week Exercise After the Alphabet: What to Teach Next? A 6-Week Plan to Reading 