Core
I can recognise most English letters and identify the vowels.
Foundation F1 | Lesson 01
Letters, Names and Sounds
English letters have names and written forms. Inside words, letters also represent sounds. In this lesson, you will name letters, identify vowels and blend sounds to read simple words.
Objectives
What you will learn
- I can recognise uppercase and lowercase English letters.
- I can distinguish between a letter name and a letter sound.
- I can identify the five main written vowels.
- I can use letter sounds to read simple words.
- I can use useful English expressions when practising pronunciation.
Success criteria
Choose your level of challenge
Develop
I can say the name and common sound of familiar letters.
Stretch
I can blend sounds to read simple words independently.
Starter
What do you already know?
This activity is for practice, not formal assessment.
A
m
T
e
B
r
O
s
- Name any letters you recognise.
- Match uppercase letters to lowercase letters.
- Identify the vowels.
- Say one English word beginning with a displayed letter.
Vocabulary
Key words
alphabet
the complete set of letters
The English alphabet has 26 letters.
الأبجدية
letter
a written symbol used in a word
B is a letter.
حرف
name
what a letter is called
The letter name is bee.
اسم
sound
what we hear when a letter is used
B usually makes the sound /b/.
صوت
vowel
one of the letters a, e, i, o, u
The letter a is a vowel.
حرف علة
consonant
a letter that is not a, e, i, o or u
The letter m is a consonant.
حرف ساكن
uppercase
a capital letter
M is the uppercase form.
حرف كبير
lowercase
a small letter
m is the lowercase form.
حرف صغير
word
a group of letters with meaning
Map is a word.
كلمة
pronounce
to say a word or sound
How do you pronounce this word?
يَنطِق
Vocabulary practice
Match each word to its meaning.
Listen and repeat
Useful spoken English
Listen when audio is available, then say each sentence aloud.
What is this letter?
This is the letter B.
What sound does it make?
It usually makes the sound /b/.
Could you repeat that, please?
How do you pronounce this word?
I am not sure.
Can I try again?
I think the answer is...
Is that correct?
Learn
Names, sounds and written forms
Explore the alphabet
Select a letter. You can use Tab and the arrow keys to move through the controls.
A a
- Letter name
- ay
- Common sound
- /æ/
- Example word
- apple
B b
- Letter name
- bee
- Common sound
- /b/
- Example word
- book
C c
- Letter name
- see
- Common sound
- /k/
- Example word
- cat
D d
- Letter name
- dee
- Common sound
- /d/
- Example word
- desk
E e
- Letter name
- ee
- Common sound
- /e/
- Example word
- egg
F f
- Letter name
- ef
- Common sound
- /f/
- Example word
- fish
G g
- Letter name
- gee
- Common sound
- /ɡ/
- Example word
- game
H h
- Letter name
- aitch
- Common sound
- /h/
- Example word
- hand
I i
- Letter name
- eye
- Common sound
- /ɪ/
- Example word
- ink
J j
- Letter name
- jay
- Common sound
- /dʒ/
- Example word
- jam
K k
- Letter name
- kay
- Common sound
- /k/
- Example word
- key
L l
- Letter name
- el
- Common sound
- /l/
- Example word
- lamp
M m
- Letter name
- em
- Common sound
- /m/
- Example word
- map
N n
- Letter name
- en
- Common sound
- /n/
- Example word
- name
O o
- Letter name
- oh
- Common sound
- /ɒ/
- Example word
- orange
P p
- Letter name
- pee
- Common sound
- /p/
- Example word
- pen
Q q
- Letter name
- cue
- Common sound
- /kw/
- Example word
- queen
R r
- Letter name
- ar
- Common sound
- /r/
- Example word
- red
S s
- Letter name
- ess
- Common sound
- /s/
- Example word
- sun
T t
- Letter name
- tee
- Common sound
- /t/
- Example word
- table
U u
- Letter name
- you
- Common sound
- /ʌ/
- Example word
- up
V v
- Letter name
- vee
- Common sound
- /v/
- Example word
- van
W w
- Letter name
- double-u
- Common sound
- /w/
- Example word
- word
X x
- Letter name
- ex
- Common sound
- /ks/
- Example word
- box
Y y
- Letter name
- why
- Common sound
- /j/
- Example word
- yes
Z z
- Letter name
- zed
- Common sound
- /z/
- Example word
- zoo
A letter may represent more than one sound. This explorer shows one common introductory example.
Letter names
Every English letter has a name.
Letter names are useful when:
- spelling a name
- giving an email address
- checking the spelling of a word
- using dictionaries
- completing forms
Model dialogue
Teacher: What is your name?
Learner: I'm Lina.
Teacher: How do you spell it?
Learner: L-I-N-A.
Letter names and letter sounds are different
A letter has a name, but it can represent one or more sounds inside words.
B
- Name
- bee
- Sound
- /b/
- Word
- book
Recorded pronunciation coming soon
M
- Name
- em
- Sound
- /m/
- Word
- map
Recorded pronunciation coming soon
S
- Name
- ess
- Sound
- /s/
- Word
- sun
Recorded pronunciation coming soon
Do not try to read sun by saying the letter names ess-you-en. Use the sounds and blend them.
/s/ + /ʌ/ + /n/ → sun
Uppercase and lowercase letters
English letters have two main written forms.
Aa
Bb
Cc
Dd
Ee
Use uppercase letters:
- at the beginning of a sentence
- at the beginning of a person's name
- for countries and cities
- for days and months
- for the pronoun I
Quick correction activity and answers
my name is sara.
My name is Sara.
i live in london.
I live in London.
monday is a school day.
Monday is a school day.
Vowels and consonants
The five main written vowels are A, E, I, O and U. Every other alphabet letter is a consonant. Most English syllables contain a vowel sound, so vowels are very important when reading words.
Vowels
a, e, i, o, u
Consonants
t, m, s, p, n
Blending sounds
Blending means joining sounds together to read a word.
The primary model uses standard British English pronunciation. English accents vary, and more than one accent can be correct.
Activity A: Match uppercase and lowercase letters
Choose the lowercase letter that matches each uppercase letter.
Activity B: Sort vowels and consonants
Choose Vowel or Consonant for each letter.
Activity C: Blend the sounds
Choose the word made by each group of sounds.
مساعدة باللغة العربية
- alphabet
- الأبجدية
- letter
- حرف
- letter name
- اسم الحرف
- sound
- صوت
- vowel
- حرف علة
- consonant
- حرف ساكن
- uppercase
- حرف كبير
- lowercase
- حرف صغير
- word
- كلمة
- pronounce
- يَنطِق
- blend
- دَمْج الأصوات
- read from left to right
- اقرأ من اليسار إلى اليمين
اسم الحرف وصوته
للحرف اسم نستخدمه عند التهجئة، وله صوت أو أكثر داخل الكلمات. نقرأ الكلمة بدمج الأصوات، لا بقول أسماء الحروف.
اتجاه القراءة
تُقرأ الإنجليزية وتُكتب من اليسار إلى اليمين.
الحروف الكبيرة والصغيرة
للحرف الإنجليزي شكل كبير وشكل صغير. نستخدم الحرف الكبير في بداية الجملة والأسماء والمدن والأيام والضمير I.
حروف العلة
حروف العلة المكتوبة الأساسية هي a و e و i و o و u. معظم المقاطع الإنجليزية تحتوي على صوت علة.
التهجئة الإنجليزية
التهجئة الإنجليزية ليست منتظمة تمامًا. تساعدك الأنماط، لكن بعض الكلمات الشائعة تحتاج إلى الحفظ.
مساعدة اختيارية في النطق
قد يحتاج بعض المتعلمين الناطقين بالعربية إلى تدريب إضافي على بعض الفروق الصوتية في الإنجليزية. يختلف ذلك باختلاف المتعلم واللهجة العربية والتعليم السابق ومدى التعرض للإنجليزية. في هذا الدرس ركّز على سماع الصوت ثم تكراره ودمجه داخل الكلمة.
Guided reading
Guided reading practice
Model each word first.
Set 1
am
at
in
on
up
Set 2
map
man
sit
pen
hot
cup
Set 3
stop
hand
milk
desk
lamp
- Identify the vowel.
- Say each sound.
- Blend the sounds.
- Read the complete word.
- Use the word in a phrase or sentence where possible.
Reading
Read about Sam
Listening
Listen for letters, names and words
Task 1
Listen and write the letter you hear.
Task 2
Listen and decide whether the teacher says a letter name or a complete word.
B and bee sound the same when spoken. The distinction comes from the task and context: one may refer to the letter, while the other may refer to the insect or the written name of the letter.
Show listening transcript
Task 1: B. M. A. T. E. S. O. P.
Task 2: B. bee. M. map. S. sun. P. pen.
Speaking
Practise useful spoken English
Ask about a letter
Learner A points to a letter.
Learner B asks a question.
Learner A answers.
What is this letter?
What sound does it make?
Can you give me a word?
Show model answers
It is the letter M.
It usually makes the sound /m/.
Map begins with M.
Spell a name
Practise spelling your first name, surname, a city and a school subject.
How do you spell that?
I spell it...
Ask for help
Use these sentences when you need support.
Could you repeat that, please?
Could you say it slowly?
How do you spell that?
How do you pronounce it?
Can I try again?
Record your practice
Your practice recording stays in this browser tab. It is not uploaded or saved to a server.
Microphone access starts only when you choose Start recording.
Sentence building and writing
Activity D: Put the words in order
Select the words in the correct order to build each sentence. You can also write the sentence on paper.
Sentence 1
Your sentence will appear here.
Sentence 2
Your sentence will appear here.
Sentence 3
Your sentence will appear here.
Sentence 4
Your sentence will appear here.
Write about yourself
Core
Copy and complete.
- My name is __________.
- My name begins with the letter __________.
- The letter __________ makes the sound __________.
Develop
Write three sentences.
- My name is...
- I can spell it...
- One English word I can read is...
Stretch
Write four or five sentences introducing yourself.
- Include your name.
- Explain how to spell it.
- Include one place.
- Include one school subject.
- Include one word you can pronounce confidently.
Core, Develop and Stretch challenge
- Core
- Match uppercase and lowercase forms, then identify the vowels.
- Develop
- Give the name, common sound and an example word for five letters.
- Stretch
- Blend the sounds in five unfamiliar simple words and explain your strategy.
Check your learning
Activity E: Lesson quiz
Plenary
What did you learn?
Today I learnt...
A vowel is...
One letter I can name is...
One word I can read is...
One useful sentence I can say is...
Home practice
Practise independently
- Write the uppercase and lowercase alphabet.
- Circle the vowels.
- Practise spelling your name aloud.
- Read these words three times: map, sit, pen, hot, cup, desk.
- Record yourself saying: My name is... I spell it... The first letter is... One word I can read is...
Answers and teacher resources
Solutions, transcript and teaching notes
This section is separated from learner activities. It is not a secure teacher login.
Reading answers
- Sam.
- No, Sam is a student.
- At a desk.
- A pen and a map.
- Possible answers: name, Sam, am, have, map.
- Possible answers: Sam, student, sit, desk.
- Pen.
Sentence-building answers
- My name is Sam.
- I am a student.
- I have a pen.
- I sit at a desk.
Quiz answers
- A, E, I, O, U
- M and m
- map
- My name is Ali.
- sit
Listening answers and transcript
Task 1: B, M, A, T, E, S, O, P.
Task 2: letter name, complete word, letter name, complete word, letter name, complete word, letter name, complete word.
Task 1: B. M. A. T. E. S. O. P.
Task 2: B. bee. M. map. S. sun. P. pen.
Teaching notes and pronunciation cautions
Teaching notes
- Reassure learners that the starter is for practice, not formal assessment.
- Model each guided-reading word before learners identify the vowel, segment the sounds and blend.
- Explain that letter names are useful for spelling, while sounds are used to decode words.
- Acknowledge accent variation while using standard British English as the primary model.
- Keep the listening transcript hidden until learners have attempted both tasks.
Pronunciation cautions
- Do not replace IPA with inaccurate invented spellings.
- Some letters represent more than one sound. Present the listed sound as a common introductory example.
- The spoken forms B and bee sound the same. Context determines whether the speaker means the letter name or the word.