Learning Worksheets Phonics Letter Y sound
Free printable PDF · beginning sounds · ages 3–5
Letter Y Sound Worksheet: Beginning Sound /y/ (Free PDF)
Yo-yo, yarn, yawn and yacht: /y/ is a quick, gliding sound at the start of words like yes, yellow and yummy.
What’s on the letter Y worksheet
- Trace: a big dotted Y and y, then a row of Yy pairs, next to the key picture (yo-yo).
- Circle: 12 pictures to say aloud. 6 of them start with /y/: yarn, yawn, yacht, yolk, yellow and yummy.
- 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 /y/ sound
Lift the middle of your tongue towards the roof of your mouth, smile slightly and glide into the next sound: /y/. Say yes slowly and feel the glide.
How to teach the letter y sound
Nod your head and say “yes, yes, yes” together, feeling the /y/ at the start. Then play “yes or no”: say a word, and your child says “yes!” if it starts with /y/, or shakes their head if not. Use the worksheet pictures, checking page 2 for less familiar ones like yacht and yolk.
More /y/ words to say together
Yes, yet, yak, yell, yum, year, yellow, yogurt.
Watch out for
At the end of words, y works like a vowel, as in happy and my. Those sounds are different from /y/. On this page every picture starts with the consonant /y/.
Game: Yo-yo up and down
Pretend to play with a yo-yo. Say a word: if it starts with /y/, your hand goes down and up like a yo-yo. If not, the string gets tangled and you wiggle your fingers.
Everyday practice
Yes, yellow and yummy are words children use a lot. Say “yes!” with a big nod to make the sound stand out.
Tongue twister
Yellow yaks yawn and yell “yes!”
Trace and write the letter y
Practise writing the letter too: uppercase Y tracing, lowercase y tracing and cursive y.
Practise next
Next, try letter z and letter a. Once most letter sounds are secure, blend them into CVC words.
Letter Y sound questions
Is y a vowel or a consonant?
Both! At the start of a word, as in yes, it is a consonant. At the end, as in happy or fly, it acts as a vowel. Start with the /y/ of yes.
Why does yacht look strange?
Yacht has an unusual spelling, but it starts with a clear /y/ sound. It is a good listening word even if children cannot read it yet.
More answers in the phonics FAQ.
More Letter Sound Worksheets
Also try: CVC words · sight words · alphabet tracing