Letter H Sound Worksheet: Beginning Sound /h/ (Free PDF)

Saying /h/ clearly

Open your mouth and breathe out as if you are fogging up a cold window: /h/. There is no voice, just a quick warm puff.

Teaching /h/ step by step

Hold your child’s hand in front of your mouth to feel the warm air when you say /h/. Breathe on a mirror and watch it mist up. Then say words with and without /h/ (hat or at, hand or and) and ask which one had the puff. Children are often surprised that one tiny breath changes the word.

Words that start with /h/

Hen, hug, hop, hot, hill, help, happy, holiday.

Common mix-ups

Some children drop the /h/ at the start of words, saying “’at” for hat. That is fine in speech, but when reading and writing, encourage them to listen for the puff of air.

Game: Hop for h

Call out words. Your child hops on one foot each time a word starts with /h/ and stands still for other words. Make it harder by speeding up.

Around the house

Hello, home, hands and hair: there is an h in many words you say each day. Breathe on the window together on a cold morning.

Say it fast

Happy hippos hop up the hill.

Writing the letter h

Say /h/ while forming the letter on our capital H and small h sheets. Older children can try joined-up cursive h.

What to try next

Ready for more? letter i and letter j are next in the alphabet. Once most letter sounds are secure, blend them into CVC words.