Letters and Sounds – Leaning Letter K and the /k/ Sound

Letter K and /k/ Sound Activities

The letter K is another "unvoiced" sound of the alphabet where no vibration is made in the vocal cords. Other letters such as F, H, and S are also unvoiced sounds. Here, the letter K makes the exact same sound as letter C, and this voiceless sound is really made by pushing a short puff of air through your mouth.

Try  saying the /k/ sound several times.

See video below:

Letter K is also a short sound, meaning that you cannot stretch it, by trying to say it as "KUH". If you sounded it as /kuh/ it becomes a voiced sound where the ending "-UH" sound is made by the vocal cords, and this is incorrect. While you may see the /k/ sound written sometimes as "kuh" or "cuh", do NOT sound it as such. No sound should be coming from your vocal cords.

If you compare the /k/ and /g/ sounds, you’ll notice that both sounds are made with the same mouth shape and position. The unvoiced /k/ sound is simply a quick puff of air being pushed out of your mouth, whereas the /g/ sound IS voiced and sound is made by your vocal cords. Here are some example words:

KID – /k/ /i/ /d/

KEG – /k/ /e/ /g/

KEEP – /k/ /ee/ /p/

Learning Activity for /k/

• Make a printout for the letter K and the following words:
  • KID
  • KIT
  • KING
  • KITTEN
  • BACK
  • PACK

1. Show the letter K and explain how to make its sound.
2. Have your child repeat the /k/ sound several times.
3. Practice the /k/ sound with the above listed words. You can add your own words as well to this list.
4. With the words provided, ask your child to show you where the /k/ sound is in the word.
5. Work with the worksheet provided for letter K and its sound below.

Letter K Worksheets

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Related Reading

• pre-K printables
• phonics rules