Letter Formation Rhymes: A Phrase For Every Letter From A To z
Letter formation rhymes are short phrases that describe how a letter is written, such as where to start and which way to go. Tap a letter to watch the words light up as the letter is drawn, then print the rhyme cards.
On this page
- Play The Letter Formation Rhymes
- What Are Letter Formation Rhymes?
- What Is The Formation Phrase For Each Letter?
- Which Phrases Does My Child's Phonics Scheme Use?
- What Makes A Good Letter Formation Phrase?
- What If The Phonics Phrase And The Handwriting Style Disagree?
- Questions About Letter Formation Rhymes
Play The Letter Formation Rhymes
Watch Each Letter With Its Rhyme
What Are Letter Formation Rhymes?
Letter formation rhymes are short spoken phrases that match each part of a letter's movement, so children say the movement while they write it. Saying the words gives the hand a rhythm to follow.
They are used mostly in Reception and Year 1, alongside phonics. Children first hear a phrase, then say it as they trace in the air, then say it as they write. The phrase is a memory aid for the movement described in letter formation.
What Is The Formation Phrase For Each Letter?
These phrases are our own. They name the start point and the direction, and nothing else, so they work with print, pre-cursive and cursive starts. Change any of them to match your school's words.
| Letter | Our phrase | Family |
|---|---|---|
| a | Curl round, back up, down the stem | Curly caterpillar |
| b | Down the stem, back up, round to close | One-armed robot |
| c | Curl round and stop | Curly caterpillar |
| d | Curl round, up high, down the stem | Curly caterpillar |
| e | Across the middle, curl round and out | Curly caterpillar |
| f | Curve over, straight down, then cross | Curly caterpillar |
| g | Curl round, down below, curl left | Curly caterpillar |
| h | Down the stem, back up, over the hill | One-armed robot |
| i | Down the line, then dot | Long ladder |
| j | Down below, curl left, then dot | Long ladder |
| k | Down the stem, then in and out | One-armed robot |
| l | Straight down from the top | Long ladder |
| m | Down, up and over, up and over, down | One-armed robot |
| n | Down, up and over, down | One-armed robot |
| o | Curl right round and close | Curly caterpillar |
| p | Down below, back up, round to close | One-armed robot |
| q | Curl round, then down below | Curly caterpillar |
| r | Down, back up, small arm over | One-armed robot |
| s | Curve left, curve right, snake down | Curly caterpillar |
| t | Down from the top, then cross | Long ladder |
| u | Down, round, up, then down again | Long ladder |
| v | Slide down, slide up | Zig-zag monster |
| w | Slide down, up, down, up | Zig-zag monster |
| x | Cross one way, then the other | Zig-zag monster |
| y | Down, round, up, then down below and curl left | Long ladder |
| z | Across, slide down, across | Zig-zag monster |
The family column follows BBC Bitesize. See letter families for how sources group letters differently.
Which Phrases Does My Child's Phonics Scheme Use?
Many UK schools use the formation phrases that come with their phonics scheme. Each scheme publishes its own, and schools may share them with parents. We do not reproduce scheme phrases, so use these official pages.
| Scheme | Where to find its phrases |
|---|---|
| Read Write Inc. (Ruth Miskin) | Handwriting phrases for helping your child to form letters (PDF) |
| Little Wandle Letters and Sounds Revised | Letter formation, in the Little Wandle help centre. It explains that formation phrases link the mnemonic to the letter, and that the phrases are on the Phase 2 information sheets and in the lesson grids |
| Success for All Phonics (FFT) | Phonic and writing phrases, in the FFT parent portal |
Ask your child's class teacher which set the school uses, then use those words at home, so children hear the same words in both places.
What Makes A Good Letter Formation Phrase?
A good phrase does four jobs. It starts with the start point, uses words for direction, has one part for each stroke, and is short enough to say while writing.
- Start point first. "Down from the top" tells a child where the pencil goes before anything else.
- Direction words. Up, down, round and back are the direction words the DfE writing framework wants Reception children to understand securely, so lean on them.
- One part per stroke. A letter with two strokes gets a phrase with a lift in it.
- Short. A handful of words is easy to say while writing.
What If The Phonics Phrase And The Handwriting Style Disagree?
When a phonics phrase suggests a different start or movement from the school's handwriting style, the handwriting style decides the movement and the phrase is adjusted to match it. Tell the class teacher, who chooses which words to use.
The reason is simple. Handwriting is a movement children learn to repeat, and the phrase is only the reminder. A phrase that describes a different movement teaches the wrong one. See letter families for the shared start points behind most phrases.
Questions About Letter Formation Rhymes
Can I Print Letter Formation Rhyme Cards?
Yes. Tap Print above for A6 rhyme cards, eight to an A4 sheet, in your school's style.
Are These The Read Write Inc. Phrases?
No. These phrases are ours. The official Read Write Inc. phrases are on Ruth Miskin's site, linked in the table above.
Do Rhymes Work For Capital Letters?
Yes, with a phrase for each capital. See capital letter formation.
Are There Rhymes For Numbers?
Yes. See number formation rhymes.