The Letter D
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Basics on the topic The Letter D
Introduction to the Letter D
Embark on an alphabet adventure with the letter D! It's a dynamic letter that vibrates with the sound /d/ and is key to developing excellent reading and writing skills. From "dog" to "drum," the letter d is everywhere!
Understanding the Letter D – Definition and Sounds
The letter d is the fourth letter in the English alphabet and is known for its distinct /d/ sound, which is voiced and requires a quick tap of the tongue against the upper front teeth.
It's essential for children to distinguish the sound of the letter d as it lays the foundation for literacy. Remember, the sound is similar to the '/d/' in "dog" or "duck."
Writing the Letter D – How to?
Writing the letter d is simple and fun! Whether it's the tall and proud capital D or the round and friendly lower case d, mastering their shape is key to great handwriting. Follow the steps below to write a pre-cursive letter d.
| Step | Instruction | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start on the black line |  |
| 2 | Whoosh to the blue line. |  |
| 3 | Curl back round to form a curly c shape. |  |
| 4 | Make a straight line up to the line above. |  |
| 5 | Go straight back down and finish with a small flick. |  |
The Letter D – Example Words
Explore the letter d in action with words like "dog," "duck" and "doll." Each of these words begins with the powerful /d/ sound.
For a more illustrative example, imagine a friendly dog named Duke who loves to play with a drum. In this sentence, "Duke, the dog, plays a big drum," we see the letter d at work as both a capital and lower case letter.
Words with the Letter D
The letter d is in many delightful words. Here's a quick list to get familiar with:
| Begin With | Contain | End With |
|---|---|---|
| dog | middle | and |
| duck | garden | said |
| doll | handle | old |
| drum | candle | did |
We can see that the letter d can be the initial consonant as well as the final consonant in CVC words. You can spot the letter d in many more words. Often, you will find it in various adjacent consonant pairs.
The Letter D – Summary
Key Learnings from this Text:
- The letter d is the fourth letter in the English alphabet and has a voiced /d/ sound.
- Recognising both capital D and lower case d is important for literacy.
- Many common words start with the letter d, such as dog, duck and doll.
Continue to practice the letter d with engaging activities and games, and soon you'll master this dynamic letter!
The Letter D – Frequently Asked Questions
Transcript The Letter D
Let’s join Dee and Kala in the phonics garden and learn all about /d/. This is the letter D, it makes the sound /d/. This is a capital /d/ and this is a lowercase /d/. They both make the /d/ sound like in dog, door and dolphin! Let's practise the /d/ sound with Kala! "/d/, /d/!" Can you spy anything in the garden that begins with /d/? "There's a duck, that starts with /d/!" Is there anything else in the garden that starts with /d/? "There's a deer, that also begins with /d/!" Uh-oh! /d/ is hiding with the other letters! Can you help find /d/ in the alphabet? Point to the letter when you find it! Did you also point here? You did some great work in the phonics garden! Today we learnt all about /d/, we listened to and made the /d/ sound, we found words that began with /d/ and found it in the alphabet! Interested in a challenge? Watch this video again and try to find the dragon and doughnut hidden in the garden! Comment below when and where you find them! If you want to learn more, check out the next sound!
The Letter D exercise
-
Which one is the correct letter?
HintsListen carefully to the sound, play it again and think about what you can hear.
This animal is called a ____.
Look again at the picture above. What sound does this word start with?
SolutionThe correct letter is d. This makes the /d/ sound.
-
What sound does the letter make?
HintsThe word duck starts with the sound.
Listen to all four sounds again. Which one is the same as the beginning of the word dougnut?
SolutionThe correct sound is /d/.
-
Find the objects that begin with d.
HintsThere are 5 items that start with d to highlight.
Listen to this word. Can you find it in the picture?
Listen carefully to the names of the objects.
SolutionThe five items that begin with d are:
- drum
- doughnut
- dinosaur
- duck
- doll
-
What is the word?
HintsListen carefully. Does the word start or end with d?
What other sounds can you hear?
Here we can see the words with pictures. Use this to help you find the matching pairs above.
SolutionThe words are:
- mud
- sad
- lid
- dot
-
Help Kala find the objects that begin with d.
HintsListen to the sound. Which words begin with this sound?
Say all of the items out loud. In which ones do you hear the /d/ sound at the beginning?
There are two correct choices.
SolutionDress and deer start with /d/.
-
Can you put the words in the correct group?
HintsListen carefully to this word. Do you hear d at the beginning or at the end?
Think carefully about the first sound that you hear, is it d or a different sound?
There are 3 words that begin with d and 3 words that end with d.
SolutionDonkey, dove and drip have d at the beginning.
Toad, bread and road have d at the end.
Rhyming Words
The Letter S
The Letter A
The Letter T
The Letter P
The Letter I
The Letter N
The Letter M
The Letter D
The Letter G
The Letter O
The Letter K
The Letter H
The Letter E
The Letter R
The Letter U
The Letter L
The Letter B
The Letter F
The Letter J
The Letter Q(u)
The Letter W
The Letter V
The Letter X
The Letter Y
The Letter Z
Consonant Letter Sounds
Matching Letters to Consonant & Vowel Sounds— Let's Practise!
CVC Words: The Initial Consonant
CVC Words: The Middle Vowel
CVC Sounds: The Final Consonant
CVC Words
Long and short Vowel sounds
Words, Syllables & Sounds
Consonant Blends
Onsets & Rimes
Decoding: Look at the Picture
Decoding: Stretch out the Word
Counting & Segmenting Syllables
Final 'E' and Split Digraphs
Adjacent Consonants _r
Adjacent Consonants s_
Adjacent Consonants _t
Adjacent Consonants l
The Soft C
The Soft G
Alternative Pronunciation y (I)
