Ending Sounds

• Kindergarten
• CCSS RF.K.2d

The ending sound is the very last sound in a word. 🐱 cat ends with /t/. 🐶 dog ends with /g/. Ending sounds are harder to hear than beginning sounds, so kids practice them after they know first sounds.

What is an ending sound?

Say bus slowly: b-u-sss. The last sound, /s/, is the ending sound. Kids learn to listen all the way to the end of a word instead of stopping after the first sound.

This matters for spelling. A child who hears only beginning sounds writes "c" for cat. A child who hears ending sounds too writes "ct," and soon "cat," because they're hearing every part of the word.

The kindergarten standard RF.K.2d asks kids to say the first, middle and last sounds in short words. After beginning and ending sounds, kids blend all three in blending and segmenting.

Ending sound pictures

Say the word and stretch the last sound.

Some ending sounds are spelled with two letters, like ck in duck. That doesn't matter yet. Kindergartners just listen for the sound.

Finding the last sound

Say each word slowly and stop on the last sound.

1. cat → /t/
2. dog → /g/
3. sun → /n/
4. bus → /s/
5. drum → /m/
6. duck → /k/
7. cup → /p/
8. bed → /d/
9. fish → /sh/
10. ball → /l/

Example 9 ends with /sh/, one sound spelled with two letters.

How to teach ending sounds

Five short games, about 5 to 10 minutes each.

1. Stretch the end. Say "buss" and hold the last sound. Ask what sound you held.
2. Same or different? "Cat, hat. Same ending sound?" Then "cat, cap."
3. I Spy endings. "I spy something that ends with /g/." (a dog, a bag)
4. Sound sandwich. Say first sound, then last sound: "dog starts with /d/ and ends with /g/."
5. Write the last letter. Write the first two letters (do_) and let your child add the last.

Common mistakes and how to fix them

Practice: ending sounds quiz

10 questions. Your child can tap the speaker to hear a question read aloud. The first try on each question counts toward the score.

1. 1.Which one ends like 🐱 cat?

   🔈
   🪁 kite 🍰 cake 🐶 dog
   Show answer

   🪁 kite

2. 2.What sound does 🐶 dog end with?

   🔈
   /g/ /d/
   Show answer

   /g/.

3. 3.Which one ends like ☀️ sun?

   🔈
   🌙 moon 🧦 sock
   Show answer

   🌙 moon

4. 4.Which one ends like 🚌 bus?

   🔈
   🏠 house 🐝 bee
   Show answer

   🏠 house

5. 5.What sound does 🥁 drum end with?

   🔈
   /m/ /d/
   Show answer

   /m/.

6. 6.Which one ends like 🦆 duck?

   🔈
   🧦 sock 🐶 dog
   Show answer

   🧦 sock

7. 7.Which one does not end like the others? 🐷 pig 🐞 bug ☀️ sun

   🔈
   ☀️ sun 🐞 bug
   Show answer

   ☀️ sun

8. 8.What sound does 🥤 cup end with?

   🔈
   /p/ /k/
   Show answer

   /p/.

9. 9.Which one ends like 🐐 goat?

   🔈
   🎩 hat 🍖 ham
   Show answer

   🎩 hat

10. 10.What sound does 🛏️ bed end with?

    🔈
    /d/ /b/
    Show answer

    /d/.

Ending Sounds worksheet (free PDF)

Ending Sounds Worksheet, Kindergarten

Circle pictures with the same ending sound, write the last letter, sort pictures by ending sound and draw something that ends with /t/. Prints on US Letter paper, with an answer key.

Download the PDF

Try it at home

• Sound sandwich: "What's the first sound in dog? The last?"
• Stretch endings: say words and hold the last sound.
• Toy sort: group toys by ending sound.
• Rhymes help: rhyming words share an ending sound.
• Spelling: when your child writes, ask what sound they hear at the end.

What comes next

Next, kids learn letter sounds A to Z, then blending sounds into words. See all skills on the kindergarten page, or browse all phonics lessons.

Last reviewed: November 11, 2026

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