Year 1 English: Letter sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d
Part of the Year 1 English letters, sounds and the alphabet chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page · Download worksheet (PDF) · Answers (PDF)
Letter sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d
Each letter makes a sound. A sound is what the letter says. We learn each sound with a picture word that starts with it. Say the name of each picture, then find the letter for the first sound.
Look at the sun. The first sound of sun is s. Look at the ant. The first sound of ant is the short a sound.
Key ideas
- s is for sun.
- a is for ant (the short a sound).
- t is for tent.
- p is for pig.
- i is for igloo (the short i sound).
- n is for net.
- m is for mug.
- d is for dice.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word sun, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a sun.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter s makes the sound at the start of sun.The start sound of sun is made by s.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.s
Check. The other letters in sun make the other sounds. s is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Write the letter for the sound, not its name, which is ess.
Method. Find the picture that starts with the letter m.
- Read each picture name. Each name has its own sound at the start or the end.pig, mug, tent
- Find the name with the sound at the start. Only mug starts with the sound m.mug has the sound at the start
- Write the answer. mug
Check. Only mug has that sound at the start. The other names do not. ✓
Watch out. Do not choose a picture because it looks like the answer. Check the spelling of its name.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word igloo, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a igloo.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter i makes the short i sound at the start of igloo.The start sound of igloo is made by i.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.i
Check. The other letters in igloo make the other sounds. i is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Igloo starts with i, not e.
Watch out
Watch out: a letter name is not the same as a letter sound. The name of a is “ay”, but its sound is the short a in ant. Write the letter that makes the sound, not the name.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Point to each picture and say its name clearly, for example “sun”. Ask: “Which letter is the first sound?” Show the letter on a card. Say the letter sound (for example, the sound at the start of sun), not its name.
Exercise 1B Sounds: s, a, t, p, i, n, m, d
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word sun, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a sun.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter s makes the sound at the start of sun.The start sound of sun is made by s.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.s
Check. The other letters in sun make the other sounds. s is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Write the letter for the sound, not its name, which is ess.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word ant, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a ant.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter a makes the short a sound at the start of ant.The start sound of ant is made by a.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.a
Check. The other letters in ant make the other sounds. a is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. The name of a is ay, but here we want its sound.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word tent, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a tent.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter t makes the sound at the start of tent.The start sound of tent is made by t.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.t
Check. The other letters in tent make the other sounds. t is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Tent ends with t too, but we want the start.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word pig, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a pig.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter p makes the sound at the start of pig.The start sound of pig is made by p.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.p
Check. The other letters in pig make the other sounds. p is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Pig starts with p, not b or d.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word net, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a net.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter n makes the sound at the start of net.The start sound of net is made by n.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.n
Check. The other letters in net make the other sounds. n is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Net ends with t. We want the start, which is n.
Method. Find the picture that starts with the letter m.
- Read each picture name. Each name has its own sound at the start or the end.pig, mug, tent
- Find the name with the sound at the start. Only mug starts with the sound m.mug has the sound at the start
- Write the answer. mug
Check. Only mug has that sound at the start. The other names do not. ✓
Watch out. Do not choose a picture because it looks like the answer. Check the spelling of its name.
Method. Find the picture that starts with the letter d.
- Read each picture name. Each name has its own sound at the start or the end.dice, pig, sun
- Find the name with the sound at the start. Only dice starts with the sound d.dice has the sound at the start
- Write the answer. dice
Check. Only dice has that sound at the start. The other names do not. ✓
Watch out. Do not choose a picture because it looks like the answer. Check the spelling of its name.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word igloo, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a igloo.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter i makes the short i sound at the start of igloo.The start sound of igloo is made by i.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.i
Check. The other letters in igloo make the other sounds. i is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Igloo starts with i, not e.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word net, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a net.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter n makes the sound at the start of net.The start sound of net is made by n.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.n
Check. The other letters in net make the other sounds. n is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Net ends with t. We want the start, which is n.
Method. Find the picture that starts with the letter t.
- Read each picture name. Each name has its own sound at the start or the end.ant, sun, tent
- Find the name with the sound at the start. Only tent starts with the sound t.tent has the sound at the start
- Write the answer. tent
Check. Only tent has that sound at the start. The other names do not. ✓
Watch out. Do not choose a picture because it looks like the answer. Check the spelling of its name.
Method. Check what m says about pig, then compare it with the spelling.
- Look at the word pig. Read the whole word.pig
- Find the letters at the start. We check what the word starts with.The start of pig is p
- Compare with what was said. m is not the same as p.m ≠ p
- Write the answer. No. Pig starts with p.
Check. Point to the start of pig and say what you see: p. ✓
Watch out. Pig starts with p, not b or d.
Method. Find the first sound of each word, then compare them.
- Look at the start of ant. The first letter tells us the first sound.ant starts with a
- Look at the start of tent. Now do the same for the second word.tent starts with t
- Compare the two. The sounds are the same only if the letters match.a ≠ t
- Write the answer. No. ant starts with a and tent starts with t.
Check. Say the first letter of each word: a and t. ✓
Watch out. Two words can have the same first letter, or two different letters. Look at both.
Key words. A sound is what a letter says. A letter is the shape we write. Two letters can make one sound, like ck.
Method. Find the sound at the start of the word tent, then write the letter or letters that make it.
- Read the name of the picture. The name tells us which word to look at.The picture is a tent.
- Find the sound at the start of the word. The letter t makes the sound at the start of tent.The start sound of tent is made by t.
- Write the answer. Write every letter that makes the sound, in order.t
Check. The other letters in tent make the other sounds. t is the one at the start. ✓
Watch out. Tent ends with t too, but we want the start.