Learning Worksheets Phonics Letter P sound
Free printable PDF · beginning sounds · ages 3–5
Letter P Sound Worksheet: Beginning Sound /p/ (Free PDF)
Pig, pizza, penguin and popcorn: /p/ is a popping sound, made by pressing the lips together and releasing a puff of air.
What’s on the letter P worksheet
- Trace: a big dotted P and p, then a row of Pp pairs, next to the key picture (pig).
- Circle: 12 pictures to say aloud. 6 of them start with /p/: pizza, pear, penguin, pencil, panda and popcorn.
- 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 /p/ sound
Close your lips, build up a little air and let it pop out: /p/. There is no voice, just the pop. Hold a tissue in front of your mouth and watch it move.
How to teach the letter p sound
Pretend to make popcorn together. Each time you say a word that starts with /p/, jump up like a popping kernel. Try p words with a tissue in front of the mouth to see the puff, then compare with /b/, which has less air. Finally, go through the pictures, popping for each one.
More /p/ words to say together
Pan, pen, pin, pot, pup, park, pillow, puddle.
Watch out for
The sounds /p/ and /b/ are made in the same way, but /b/ uses the voice. Some children say “bie” for pie. A hand on the throat helps them feel that /p/ has no buzz.
Game: Pass the parcel, p style
Wrap a small toy in several layers of paper, each with a picture inside. When the music stops, the person holding the parcel opens a layer and says whether the picture starts with /p/.
Everyday practice
Plates, pyjamas and playgrounds: pop your lips for each /p/ word you meet.
Tongue twister
Pink pigs pick purple plums.
Trace and write the letter p
Practise writing the letter too: uppercase P tracing, lowercase p tracing and cursive p.
Practise next
Next, try letter q and letter r. Later, p joins other letters in blends like pl.
Letter P sound questions
How can I show the difference between p and b?
Hold a tissue in front of your mouth. It moves more for /p/. Then put a hand on your throat: /b/ buzzes and /p/ does not.
Why do p, b, d and q look so similar?
They are made of the same circle and stick in different positions. Practising one at a time, with lots of saying the sound while writing, helps children keep them apart.
More answers in the phonics FAQ.
More Letter Sound Worksheets
Also try: CVC words · sight words · alphabet tracing