Letter W Preschool Printable Worksheets

All printables for personal or classroom use only.

These letter of the week printables are great for tot school, preschool, and kindergarten children. Children can work on one letter activity each day.

Click on the picture to download the printable.

Blank lowercase letter- great for crafts, painting, or decorating.

LETTER W UPPERCASE TRACING WORKSHEET-

Trace the uppercase letter W.

How to Teach the Letter W

W is a fun letter to teach, but it has one quirk: its name, "double-u," doesn't sound anything like its sound. That means the sound deserves most of your attention at the start. Here is how I'd use the letter W worksheets on this page.

1. Start with the sound. W says /w/ as in water. Have your child push their lips into a small circle, like they're about to blow out a candle, and then let the sound slide open. A mirror helps them see their lips move. Stay on the sound, "w, w, wet," and leave the letter's name for later so the two don't get tangled.

2. Teach the zigzag. Capital W is four slanted lines: down, up, down, up, like two V's sitting side by side. Lowercase w follows the same path in a smaller size. Say "down, up, down, up" out loud as your child draws. Before using a pencil, they can draw it in the air with a ribbon, in a tray of salt, or with a wet sponge on the patio.

3. Hunt for W words. Fill a small tub with water and talk about what's wet. A toy wagon, a watch, a worm, and a picture of a whale make good props. Wiggle like a worm while you say "w-w-worm," or wave to a friend on every /w/ word. Other words to try are web, window, wolf, wing, and watermelon.

4. Expect a few flips. W is often written upside down so it looks like an M, so give your child a dot at the top left where the first line begins. Lowercase w also gets confused with v. The easy check is to count the points on the bottom: v has one, and w has two.

You'll find tracing pages, coloring sheets, and beginning sounds worksheets on this page for each of these steps.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Letter W

Is W a difficult letter for young children?
It's a little harder than letters made of one or two lines, since the pencil has to change direction four times. Most kids are ready to try it by age 4 or 5. If it feels frustrating, draw zigzag lines on a whiteboard first.

What sound does the letter W make?
W makes the /w/ sound, as in water, wagon, and web. It's a voiced sound, made with rounded lips, and your child should feel a slight buzz. In words like whale and wheel, the letters WH together also say /w/, but that's a topic for kindergarten.

What words start with the letter W?
Good beginner choices are water, wagon, watch, web, worm, whale, wolf, window, wing, wig, wave, and watermelon. Try starting with things your child can see right in front of them, like a window or a toy wagon.

Why is W called "double-u" when it doesn't sound like U?
Long ago, the letter was written as two U's (or two V's) joined together, and the name stayed even after the shape changed. For young learners, it's fine to say that W has a funny name and a different sound. Practice the /w/ sound first, and mention the name afterward.

Why does my child say "wabbit" instead of "rabbit"?
Swapping /r/ for /w/ is very common in young children, since /w/ is easier to make with the lips than /r/ is with the tongue. Most kids grow out of it by around age 6 or 7. If you're worried, a speech-language pathologist can take a look and give you tips.

How can my child tell lowercase w from v?
Count the points. A lowercase v has one point at the bottom, and a lowercase w has two. Tracing both with a finger and saying "one point" or "two points" is a simple way to make it stick. Writing them side by side on a lined page also helps.

What are some good ways to practice the letter W at home?
Try a water play bin, a worm wiggle game, or a scavenger hunt for things that begin with /w/. You could also draw a big web and write W on every strand. A few minutes at a time is plenty.

Which letter W worksheets should we use first?
Tracing is the best starting point because of all the direction changes. After that, the beginning sounds worksheet lets your child practice hearing /w/ in words. The coloring pages are great for when you'd like something more laid-back.

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