Phonemic awareness card maker

Picture cards for first sounds, rhymes and syllables

Make picture cards for sound games. The cards have no letters, because these games are played with the ears: say the first sound of a word, find two pictures that rhyme, or clap the parts of a word and count them. A page for the grown-up says what to ask and what to listen for.

Words that have a picture (471): press one to add it
Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

How to make your worksheet

  1. Choose the game: first sound, rhyming pairs, or syllables.
  2. Let the page pick the pictures, or choose “Type your own words that have a picture”.
  3. Choose four, six or eight cards on a page, and how many pages.
  4. Print on thick paper and cut the cards apart. Keep the page for the grown-up beside you.

The reading skill

Before a child can sound out a word, the child has to hear that a word is made of smaller sounds. First sounds, rhymes and syllables are the usual first steps, and all three can be played with pictures alone.

Pictures a child can name

Every card uses a picture a child would call by one clear name. Rhyming pairs and syllable counts come from a list we checked by hand. Words whose number of claps people argue about are left out.

Syllable cards

Each card has the numbers 1 to 4 along the bottom. Clap the word, then put a clothespin or a counter on the number of claps, or circle it.

Good questions

Can I choose the pictures?

Yes. Choose “Type your own words that have a picture”. For rhymes, type two rhyming words on each line. For syllables, the word must be on our checked list, and the page tells you when it is not.

Why is there no word on the cards?

These are listening games. A printed word turns them into reading, which is a different job.

Do I need the page for the grown-up?

It lists every card with its word and the answer, so anyone can run the game.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

Free · 2 minutes

Is reading hard for your child, and you are not sure why?

“Behind in reading” can mean ten different things, and each one needs different help. Check off what is true for your child. You will see the one thing to work on first, and what can wait.

Find where to start