Learning Worksheets Phonics Letter Z sound
Free printable PDF · beginning sounds · ages 3–5
Letter Z Sound Worksheet: Beginning Sound /z/ (Free PDF)
Zebra, zip, zigzag and zero: /z/ is the buzzy bee sound, and zebra is the picture word nearly every child remembers.
Free for home and classroom use · A4 · 2 pages · PDF, 181 KB
The Z worksheet at a glance
- Section 1: say /z/ and trace the letter in capital and small form.
- Section 2: find the 3 /z/ pictures (zip, zigzag and zero) among 12.
- Section 3: picture-to-sound matching for four first sounds.
- Answer key: picture names, answers and quick tips.
Mouth position for /z/
Keep your teeth close together, as for /s/, then turn your voice on: /zzz/. It buzzes like a bee.
Ways to practise the /z/ sound
Buzz like a bee: zzz! Then say /sss/ and /zzz/ one after the other, with a hand on the throat. The /z/ buzzes and the /s/ does not. Fly around the room and land on a picture each time you hear /z/ at the start of a word. Draw a zigzag with your finger while saying the sound too.
Extra /z/ words
Zap, zip, zoo, zoom, zone, zebra, zero, zigzag.
Tricky bits
Many words end with an s that sounds like /z/, such as dogs and has. That is a good thing to notice later. On this page, every picture starts with z.
Game: Zoom and zip
Your child zooms around the room like a race car. Say a word: if it starts with /z/, they zoom faster. If not, they zip to a stop.
Little and often
A trip to the zoo, zipping up a coat and the zero on a clock or phone: say /zzz/ each time.
A silly sentence to try
Zara the zebra zips and zooms in zigzags.
Letter z handwriting
Handwriting pages for this letter: Z uppercase · z lowercase · z cursive.
Keep going
Carry on with letter a, then letter b. Once most letter sounds are secure, blend them into CVC words.
Letter Z sound questions
How is /z/ different from /s/?
They use the same mouth position, but /z/ uses the voice and buzzes. A hand on the throat helps children feel the difference.
Why does z have so few pictures?
Only a few common words start with z. Zebra, zip, zigzag and zero are clear and familiar to most children.
More answers in the phonics FAQ.
More Letter Sound Worksheets
Also try: CVC words · sight words · alphabet tracing