Letter U

Ages 3–5 · 4 minutes · English

Learn all about letter U!

Practice letter sounds. Play alphabet games that build upon each other throughout the course. Become familiar and build confidence using the alphabet!

Part of

Learn Letter Sounds

Standards alignment

Common Core State Standards

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Alabama

ELA21.K.11 — Recognize and name all upper and lower case letters in non-sequential order with accuracy and automaticity.
ELA21.K.9f — Identify the initial, final, and medial sounds of spoken words.
ELA21.K.9 — Demonstrate early phonological awareness to basic phonemic awareness skills in spoken words.

Alaska

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Arizona

K.RF.1.f — Recognize and name all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
K.RF.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one‐to‐one letter‐sound correspondence by producing the primary or most frequent sound(s) for each consonant and the five major vowels.
K.RF.2.a — Identify and produce sounds (phonemes) in a spoken word.

Arkansas

K.FR.21.F — Produce the most common sound for each letter of the alphabet with accuracy and automaticity.
K.FR.4.CP — Name all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet in print.
K.FR.5.PA — Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds in three sound words.

California

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels. (Identify which letters represent the five major vowels [Aa, Ee, Ii, Oo, and Uu] and know the long and short sound of each vowel. More complex long vowel graphemes and spellings are targeted in the grade 1 phonics standards.)
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

Colorado

RWC20-GR.PS-S.2-GLE.2-EO.c — Identify and discriminate between sounds and phonemes in language, such as attention to beginning and ending sounds of words and recognition that different words begin or end with the same sound.
RWC20-GR.PS-S.2-GLE.4.b — Recognize that letters of the alphabet have distinct sound(s) associated with them.
RWC20-GR.PS-S.2-GLE.4.c — Attend to the beginning letters and sounds in familiar words.
RWC20-GR.PS-S.2-GLE.4.d — Identify letters and associate correct sounds with letters, including a minimum of ten letters, preferably including letters in the child’s name.
RWC20-GR.PS-S.2-GLE.4.a — Recognize that the letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named.

Connecticut

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Delaware

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

Florida

ELA.K.F.1.3 — Use knowledge of grade-appropriate phonics and word-analysis skills to decode words accurately. • Demonstrate knowledge of the most frequent sound for each consonant. • Demonstrate knowledge of the short and long sounds for the five major vowels. • Decode consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words. • Encode consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words.
ELA.K.F.1.1 — Demonstrate knowledge of the basic concepts of print. • Locate a printed word on a page. • Distinguish letters from words within sentences. • Match print to speech to demonstrate that language is represented by print. • Identify parts of a book (front cover, back cover, title page). • Move top to bottom and left to right on the printed page; returning to the beginning of the next line. • Identify all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet. • Recognize that print conveys specific meaning and pictures may support meaning.
ELA.K.F.1.2 — Demonstrate phonological awareness. • Blend and segment syllables in spoken words. • Identify and produce alliterative and rhyming words. • Blend and segment onset and rimes of single-syllable words. • Identify the initial, medial, and final sound of spoken words. • Add or delete phonemes at the beginning or end of a spoken word and say the resulting word. • Segment and blend phonemes in single-syllable spoken words.

Georgia

ELAGSEKRF1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
ELAGSEKRF3.b — Demonstrate basic knowledge of long and short sounds for the five major vowels.
ELAGSEKRF2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
ELAGSEKRF3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one to one letter-sound correspondences for each consonant.

Hawaii

K.RF.1d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
K.RF.3b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
K.RF.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
K.RF.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Idaho

K.FR.PC.1h — Identify and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
K.FR.PH.3b — Associate the long and short sounds for the five major vowel letters.
K.FR.PA.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds.

Illinois

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Indiana

K.RF.3 — Identify and name all uppercase (capital) and lowercase letters of the alphabet. (E)
K.RF.6 — Identify and produce the beginning, middle (medial), and final sounds in three and four phoneme words. (E)
K.RF.7 — Use letter-sound knowledge to decode the sound of each consonant. (E)

Iowa

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common graphemes (spellings) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and phonemes (sounds).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of phoneme-grapheme (one-to-one, letter-sound) correspondences by producing the primary and most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Kansas

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Kentucky

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Louisiana

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Maine

R.1.K.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
R.3.K.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
R.3.K.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.
R.2.K.d — Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words.* (This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)

Maryland

RF.PK.1.d — Recognize and name some upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.PK.2.e — Isolate and pronounce the initial sound in spoken words
RF.PK.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words and sounds (phonemes)
RF.PK.3.a — Recognize that words are made up of letters and their sounds.

Massachusetts

RF.PK.1.d — Recognize and name some uppercase letters of the alphabet and the lowercase letters in their own name.
RF.PK.2.c — Identify the initial sound of a spoken word and, with guidance and support, generate several other words that have the same initial sound.
RF.PK.3.a — Link an initial sound to a picture of an object that begins with that sound and, with guidance and support, to the corresponding printed letter (e.g., link the initial sound /b/ to a picture of a ball and, with support, to a printed or written “B”).
RF.PK.2 — With guidance and support, demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.PK.3 — Demonstrate beginning understanding of phonics and word analysis skills.

Michigan

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

Minnesota

0.1.1.0.b — Demonstrate understanding of the basic features of print: Recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
0.2.1.2 — Demonstrate one-to-one letter-sound correspondence.
0.1.1.1 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables and sounds (phonemes):

Mississippi

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with the common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Missouri

K.RF.1.A.a — identifying all upper- and lower-case letters
K.RF.2.A.g — isolating the initial, medial, and final sounds in spoken words
K.RF.2.A.a — identifying sounds in spoken words
K.RF.3.A — Develop phonics in the reading process by:

Montana

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Nebraska

LA.K.F.1.a — Identify all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet in isolation and in connected text.
LA.K.F.3.b — Demonstrate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
LA.K.F.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
LA.K.F.4.a — Recognize upper and lowercase letters automatically and accurately.

Nevada

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

New Hampshire

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

New Jersey

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing many of the most frequently used sounds of each consonant.

New Mexico

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

New York

PKRF1d — Recognize and name some upper/lowercase letters of the alphabet, especially those in own name.
PKRF2 — Demonstrate an emerging understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
KRF1d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
KRF2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

North Carolina

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lower-case letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.4.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.3 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.4 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

North Dakota

K.F.12a — Accurately and automatically recognize and name all uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet in non-sequential order.
K.F.12b — Accurately and automatically produce the predictable consonant and short vowel sounds associated with uppercase and lowercase letters in non-sequential order.
K.F.7 — Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final phonemes in three-phoneme words.

Ohio

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and phonemes (sounds).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one grapheme (letter)-sound correspondences by producing the primary sound or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.

Oklahoma

PK.2.PWS.2 — Students will name a majority of uppercase and lowercase letters.
PK.2.PWS.3 — Students will produce some sounds represented by letters.
PK.2.PA.4 — Students will isolate the common initial sound when given a set of alliterative spoken words (e.g., the puppy pounces).
K.2.PA.3 — Students will isolate and pronounce initial and final sounds in spoken words.

Oregon

K.RF.1d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
K.RF.3b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings for the five major vowels.
K.RF.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and phonemes.
K.RF.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Pennsylvania

CC.1.1.PK.B — Identify basic features of print. • Differentiate between numbers and letters and letters and words. • Recognize and name some uppercase and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
CC.1.1.PK.D — Develop beginning phonics and word skills. • Associate some letters with their names and sounds. • Identify familiar words and environmental print.
CC.1.1.PK.C — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). • Recognize rhyming words and when two or more words begin with the same sound (alliteration). • Count syllables in spoken words. • Segment single-syllable spoken words. • Segment single-syllable spoken words.

Rhode Island

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

South Carolina

ELA.K.F.1 — Demonstrate early phonological awareness to basic phonemic awareness in spoken words. (FK -1.3-2.18 LF BR-430)
ELA.K.F.1.6 — Orally identify initial, medial, and final phonemes in two- and three-phoneme (i.e., VC and CVC) words, excluding CVC words ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.
ELA.K.F.3.1 — Identify, name, and form all upper and lowercase letters with automaticity.

South Dakota

K.RF.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
K.RF.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds for the five vowels.
K.RF.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
K.RF.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Tennessee

K.FL.PC.1.d — Recognize and name all upper and lowercase letters of the alphabet in isolation and in connected text.
K.FL.PWR.3.b — Associate the long and short phonemes with common spellings for the five major vowels.
K.FL.PA.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
K.FL.PA.2.d — Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in two- and three-phoneme (VC or CVC) words, excluding CVC words ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.

Texas

K.2B.i — identifying and matching the common sounds that letters represent;
K.2D.v — identifying all uppercase and lowercase letters; and
K.2A.ii — recognizing spoken alliteration or groups of words that begin with the same spoken onset or initial sound;
K.2B — demonstrate and apply phonetic knowledge by:

Utah

P4.R.2.c — Identify initial sounds in spoken language.
P4.R.3.b — Identify three or more vowel names and short vowel sounds using one-to-one letter-sound correspondence (alphabetic principle).
P3.R.3.b — With prompting and support, begin to identify one or more vowel names and short vowel sounds using one-toone letter-sound correspondence (alphabetic principle).
P4.R.1.b — Begin to identify frequently seen letters and words, recognizing that words are made up of letters.

Vermont

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Virginia

K.FFR.3.A — Identify capital and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
K.FFR.3.B — Identify common letter-sound correspondences.

Washington

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

Washington, D.C.

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sound for each consonant.

West Virginia

ELA.K.V.d — Recognize and name upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
ELA.K.II.a — Demonstrate basic knowledge of one-to-one letter-sound correspondences by producing the primary or many of the most frequent sounds for each consonant.
ELA.K.II.b — Associate common spellings (graphemes) with the five major short vowel sounds.
ELA.PK.FR.PC.3 — Recognize that letters of the alphabet are a special category of visual graphics that can be individually named.
ELA.K.IV — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

Wisconsin

ELA.K.RF.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
ELA.K.RF.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
ELA.K.RF.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
ELA.K.RF.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Wyoming

RF.K.1.d — Recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters of the alphabet.
RF.K.3.b — Associate the long and short sounds with common spellings (graphemes) for the five major vowels.
RF.K.2 — Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).
RF.K.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.