Letter P phonics worksheets — free printable activities

A free phonics worksheet for the letter P and the /p/ sound — the fourth sound in the s-a-t-p-i-n sequence. Part of the Magic 7 Activity Pack, which covers the seven foundational sounds children meet at the start of their reading journey.

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Why letter P comes fourth

With S, A, and T secure, your child can read sat, at, as. Adding P roughly doubles the word list overnight: tap, pat, sap, pit (once /i/ arrives), pan, nap (once /n/ arrives). P is a word-builder — that's why it sits so early in the sequence.

Like /t/, the /p/ sound is a quick, unvoiced stop — a small pop of the lips. It can't be stretched, so keep it short and crisp: /p/, not "puh".

One watch-out for later: p and its mirror-twin b are the classic letter confusion. At this stage it rarely matters (b comes much later in the sequence), but plenty of finger-tracing now pays off then.

What's on the Letter P page

The Magic 7 Activity Pack covers seven sounds in one PDF. The Letter P lesson page has three activities:

Activity 1 — A letter-P-shaped maze. The letter P drawn as a maze with a START and END. Kids trace the path with a finger or pencil while saying /p/ /p/ /p/.

Activity 2 — Find and circle. Small icons on the page (pig, pen, and several distractors). The child circles every one that starts with /p/.

Activity 3 — Letter tracing. A model lowercase p on the left, six light-gray practice letters to trace while saying /p/ aloud.

How to teach the /p/ sound

A simple five-minute approach:

1. Show the letter. Point at p. Say a short, clean /p/ — lips together, tiny pop of air, no "uh" on the end.
2. Use the action. "Pretend to blow out a candle — p, p, p." Hold a hand in front of the mouth to feel the puff.
3. Find things that start with /p/. Pillow, pan, paper, puzzle, pet.
4. Read new words together. tap, pat, sap. Sound each one out slowly and slide the sounds together.
5. Stop while it's still fun.

What comes after P

I is next — the second vowel — and it unlocks a whole new word family: it, is, sit, pit, tip, sip.

The pack includes all seven in order: s, a, t, p, i, n, m. One lesson page per sound, plus a blending page, first sentences, and a parent solution key.

When this worksheet is the right level

Use this worksheet if:

• Your child is 4-5 years old
• They know /s/, /a/ and /t/ (or are working through the Magic 7 in order)
• They've started blending simple words like sat

Skip this worksheet if:

• Your child can already read three-letter words confidently
• They've completed the Magic 7 set already — try the CVC Word Pack next

Related resources

Part of the free phonics worksheets library. This page is linked from the preschool and pre-K hubs.

Companion materials for the letter P and the Magic 7 set:

• Letter T phonics worksheets — the sound before this one
• Letter I phonics worksheets — the sound after this one
• Magic 7 Phonics Flashcards — cut-out cards for each of the seven sounds
• CVC Word Pack — three-letter words using the Magic 7 sounds

Common questions

What sound does P make?

A quick, voiceless /p/ — lips together, then a small pop of air. Its voiced twin is /b/, made with the same lips but with the voice switched on.

Why shouldn't I say "puh"?

Adding "uh" to consonants is the most common phonics mistake at home. "puh-a-tuh" blends into puhatuh, not pat. Keep stop sounds as short and clean as you can.

My child mixes up p and b. Should I worry?

Not at this age — p/b (like b/d) confusion is completely normal until 6 or 7. Lots of tracing while saying the sound builds the motor memory that eventually fixes it.

Are these worksheets really free?

Yes. Free for personal, classroom, and tutor use. Print as many copies as you like.