Rhyming Words Worksheet for Kids (Free Printable PDF)

What’s in the PDF

• Page 1 (Level 1, easier): join five pairs of rhyming pictures (cat and hat, frog and log, bee and tree, star and car, mouse and house), then circle the rhyming word in six pairs.
• Page 2 (Level 2, harder): cross out the word that does not rhyme in five groups, then write a rhyming word for six words such as bat, hen and pot.
• Page 3: an answer key for both levels.

Read the instructions aloud for early readers. Children can point or say the answer before they write it.

What are rhyming words?

Words rhyme when their ending sounds are the same: cat, hat, mat; bee, tree, see. Hearing rhymes is an important early reading skill, because it shows that children can listen to the sounds inside words. That makes it easier to read and spell new words in the same word family.

Examples

• -at: cat, hat, bat, mat
• -og: frog, log, dog, jog
• -ee: bee, tree, see, three
• -ar: star, car, jar, far
• -ouse: mouse, house

How to teach it

Rhyme is all about listening, so start out loud. Read nursery rhymes and rhyming picture books, and pause before the rhyming word so your child can fill it in. Then play with silly rhymes: “cat, hat, zat!” Made-up words are fine. They show that your child can hear the pattern.

Common mix-ups

Children may choose words that start with the same sound (cat and cup) rather than end with it. Say both words slowly and stretch out the endings. Some rhymes are spelled differently, like bear and chair, which is fine to point out.

Game: Rhyme ping-pong

Say a word, such as “pig”. Your child answers with a rhyme: “wig!” Then you: “big!” Keep going until someone gets stuck, then start a new word. Nonsense words count.

Questions to ask

• Do these two words sound the same at the end?
• Can you think of a word that rhymes with sun?
• Which word is the odd one out?

Practise next

Try opposites, in, on, under, nouns. Rhymes and word families go together: try our CVC word worksheets.