Learning Worksheets Phonics Letter D sound
Free printable PDF · beginning sounds · ages 3–5
Letter D Sound Worksheet: Beginning Sound /d/ (Free PDF)
Dog, duck, door and donut: the /d/ sound is made with the tip of the tongue and comes up in loads of first words.
What’s on the letter D worksheet
- Trace: a big dotted D and d, then a row of Dd pairs, next to the key picture (dog).
- Circle: 12 pictures to say aloud. 6 of them start with /d/: duck, dinosaur, door, dolphin, deer and donut.
- Match: draw a line from 4 pictures to their first sounds.
- Page 2: the answer key, with the name of every picture and tips for grown-ups.
How to say the /d/ sound
Put the tip of your tongue just behind your top teeth, then drop it quickly while using your voice: /d/. It is a short, firm sound with a little hum in the throat.
How to teach the letter d sound
Ask your child to put a hand on their throat while you both say /d/, then /t/. They should feel a buzz for /d/ but not for /t/. Use that buzz as a clue while you look through the pictures together: dog, duck, dinosaur. Then say the words with the sound slightly stretched so they can hear it right at the beginning.
More /d/ words to say together
Dad, dig, dot, den, desk, doll, drum, dinner.
Watch out for
Some children swap /d/ and /t/ or /d/ and /g/ in speech when they are young. If your child says “gog” for dog, model the word gently without correcting them sharply, and it will usually sort itself out.
Game: Dinosaur stomp
Pretend to be dinosaurs. Say a word: if it starts with /d/, stomp three times and roar. If it does not, freeze. Let your child call the words for a round too.
Everyday practice
Walking the dog, drying the dishes and doing up the door: say the /d/ word clearly as you go.
Tongue twister
Dizzy ducks dig deep in the dirt.
Trace and write the letter d
Practise writing the letter too: uppercase D tracing, lowercase d tracing and cursive d.
Practise next
Next, try letter e and letter f. Later, d joins other letters in blends like dr.
Letter D sound questions
What is the difference between /d/ and /t/?
They use the same tongue position, but /d/ uses your voice and /t/ is just air. A hand on the throat helps children feel the difference.
My child writes d backwards. Is that a problem?
No. Reversing d and b is very common up to about age 7. Practise writing the c shape first, then adding the tall line on the right.
More answers in the phonics FAQ.
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Also try: CVC words · sight words · alphabet tracing