Once children hear the first sound of a word, the next step is to hear the last one. Listening for end sounds helps with rhyme and prepares children to sound out whole words.
What your child will learn
- Hear the last sound in a spoken word
- Match pictures that end with the same sound
- Name the letter a word ends with
Stretch the word
Saying a word slowly — “d-o-g” — makes the last sound easier to hear. End sounds are harder than first sounds because children naturally focus on the start of a word.
Example questions
Here are a few questions like the ones in the first quest. Can you solve them?
1. Which one ends like 🐛 bug?
- 🧢 cap
- 🚩 flag
Show answer
Answer: 🚩 flag. Bug and flag both end with the sound “g”.
2. Which one ends like 🐷 pig?
- 🦆 duck
- 🥚 egg
Show answer
Answer: 🥚 egg. Pig and egg both end with the sound “g”.
3. Which one ends like 🦊 fox?
- 🚂 train
- 📦 box
Show answer
Answer: 📦 box. Fox and box both end with the sound “x”.
Tips for grown-ups
- Play “I spy something that ends with t”.
- Say a word slowly and ask, “What’s the very last sound?”