Reception English and phonics Letter sounds: h, b, f, ff, l, ll, ss: check-up and practice test questions

Method. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /h/.

1. Look at the start of each name. The first letter, or first letters, give the first sound. A grown-up can read each name aloud.
   bus starts with b · hen starts with h · leaf starts with l
2. Find the sound /h/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /h/ is at the start of hen.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   hen

Check. Say hen slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /h/. ✓

Watch out. Look at the start of the name, not at the end or the middle.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   fan
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /f/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from b, f, h.
   f

Check. The word fan starts with f. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   hat
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   h - a - t
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   h-a-t

Check. Read the letters back: h-a-t. They spell hat. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Say puff sound by sound.

1. Say puff. Each sound is one box.
   p - u - ff
2. Find the last sound. The last sound is /f/, written ff.
   last sound: /f/
3. Write the answer.
   ff

Check. ff makes one sound at the end. ✓

Watch out. Write both f letters together.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   b - e - d
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /e/ /d/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /e/ /d/ = bed

Check. Check the picture of a bed. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. Look at the end of each name.

1. Look at hat. hat ends with t.
   hat: t
2. Look at ball. ball ends with ll.
   ball: ll
3. Look at bus. bus ends with s.
   bus: s
4. Write the answer.
   ball

Check. Only ball ends with ll. ✓

Watch out. Look at the last letters.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   hiss
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   h - i - ss
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   h-i-ss

Check. Read the letters back: h-i-ss. They spell hiss. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   leaf
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /l/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from l, f, b.
   l

Check. The word leaf starts with l. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Look at the start of each name. One of them starts with a different sound.

1. Look at the first letter of each name. Read the names as a grown-up points to them.
   bus: b · bed: b · hat: h
2. Find the one that is different. The other names all start with b.
   hat is different.
3. Write the answer. Say what the odd one starts with.
   hat (starts with h)

Check. The other pictures start with b, so hat is the odd one. ✓

Watch out. Find the sound that most names share first. The odd one is the name that does not match.

Method. Say the sounds, then count them.

1. Say bell. Say each sound in order.
   b - e - ll
2. Count the sounds. ll is one sound.
   b, e, ll
3. Give your answer. Use the words one sound.
   Accept any answer that says b, e and ll are three sounds, because ll is one sound.

Check. Three sounds: b, e and ll. ✓

Watch out. Two letters can make one sound.

Method. Find the picture whose name starts with the sound /b/.

1. Look at the start of each name. The first letter, or first letters, give the first sound. A grown-up can read each name aloud.
   hat starts with h · bus starts with b · fan starts with f
2. Find the sound /b/. Only one name starts with this sound.
   /b/ is at the start of bus.
3. Write the answer. Use the word written under the picture.
   bus

Check. Say bus slowly, sound by sound. It starts with /b/. ✓

Watch out. Look at the start of the name, not at the end or the middle.

Method. Say the name of the picture. Then find the letter that makes its first sound.

1. Read the name. Read every letter in the name.
   leaf
2. Find the first sound. The first letter tells the first sound.
   The first sound is /l/.
3. Choose the letter for that sound. Choose from l, h, f.
   l

Check. The word leaf starts with l. ✓

Watch out. Some letters make a different sound in other words. Check the start of this word only.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   hill
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   h - i - ll
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   h-i-ll

Check. Read the letters back: h-i-ll. They spell hill. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Look at the end of each name.

1. Look at bus. bus ends with one s.
   bus: s
2. Look at bell and fan. bell ends with ll. fan ends with n.
   bell: ll; fan: n
3. Write the answer.
   bus

Check. Only bus ends with one s. ✓

Watch out. Look at the last letters.

Method. Say the word, sound by sound. Then write one letter, or one group of letters, in each box.

1. Say the name of the picture. A grown-up says the word slowly.
   fuss
2. Say each sound in order. Each sound is written as one box.
   f - u - ss
3. Write the letters in order. The letters go in the same order as the sounds.
   f-u-ss

Check. Read the letters back: f-u-ss. They spell fuss. ✓

Watch out. Write the sounds from left to right, and leave no box out.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   h - a - t
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /h/ /a/ /t/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /h/ /a/ /t/ = hat

Check. Check the picture of a hat. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. Say the word puff sound by sound.

1. Say the sounds. Each box is one sound.
   p - u - ff
2. Count the sounds. ff is one sound.
   p, u, ff
3. Write the answer.
   3 sounds.

Check. Count again: p, u, ff. There are 3. ✓

Watch out. Count sounds, not letters.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   f - a - n
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /f/ /a/ /n/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /f/ /a/ /n/ = fan

Check. Check the picture of a fan. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.

Method. Look at the end of hiss.

1. Say hiss sound by sound. The last sound is /s/.
   h - i - ss
2. Look at the end of the word. The last sound is written with two letters, ss.
   ss at the end
3. Give your answer. Say why Ben is right.
   Accept any answer that says yes, because hiss ends with the sound /s/, written ss.

Check. The sound at the end is /s/. ✓

Watch out. The sound is /s/, but the spelling is ss.

Method. Start with b, and end with ll.

1. Start with b. The first letter is b.
   b - ...
2. End with ll. The last two letters make one sound.
   b - e - ll
3. Write the answer.
   Accept any word that starts with b and ends with ll, such as ball or bell.

Check. The word starts with b and ends with ll. ✓

Watch out. Write both l letters together at the end.

Method. Read the parts in order. Then say the sounds together, faster and faster, to make the word.

1. Read each part, one at a time. Each part makes one sound. Read them from left to right.
   b - a - ll
2. Say the sounds, then join them. Blending means joining the sounds together into one word.
   /b/ /a/ /l/
3. Write the word. The blended sounds make the word.
   /b/ /a/ /l/ = ball

Check. Check the picture of a ball. The picture matches the word. ✓

Watch out. Do not say each sound as a separate word. Join them together.