Playing with sounds in words

This guide is about games with the beats in words, rhymes and first sounds. Your child claps, points or listens. They do not have to say the sounds.

Keep the games short, and stop when your child loses interest.

If your child stutters, ask your speech pathologist before you play these games.

When children learn this

Children usually hear the bigger parts of words first, like beats, rhymes and first sounds. Hearing every single sound in a word comes later.
Health checklists say that by 5, most children know or use simple rhymes, like cat and hat.
Health checklists use 'most children' to mean at least 3 in 4 children. If your child is not doing a 'most children' skill by the age given, see your GP or child health nurse for advice.
Between 5 and 6, many children learn that single sounds join to make a word. At this age, you can talk about each sound in a short word, like moon: mmm, oo, nnn.
Children learn these skills at different ages.

Try this

While you play

Clap the beats in names. Your child can clap or watch.

You: Ru-by. Two claps.
Your child: (claps) Dad!
You: Dad. One clap for Dad.

Around the house

At bath time, make up silly rhymes.

You: A duck in a truck!
Your child: (laughs) Duck truck!
You: Duck and truck. They rhyme.

When you go out

At the park, play I spy with a long first sound, then wait. If your child does not point, show them.

You: I spy something that starts with sss.
Your child: (points to the sandpit)
You: Sssandpit! Sandpit starts with sss.

Why it helps

When you clap the beats in a word, make up rhymes or stretch a first sound, your child hears that words have parts. Your child does not have to copy you.

When to get help

If your child stutters, ask your speech pathologist before you play these games.
Children who have trouble with talking are more likely to find reading and writing hard. A speech pathologist can help with these early skills too.
Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 3 and 4 and does not understand simple instructions.
Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is between 4 and 5 and has trouble understanding what people say.
Tell the speech pathologist or your GP if your child is 5 or older and has trouble telling a simple story or what happened, has trouble understanding what they hear or what is read to them, or has a lot of trouble following or remembering spoken instructions.
If you are worried about your child's early reading and writing skills, or reading and writing were hard for close family, talk to your child's teacher at preschool or school, your GP or child health nurse, or the speech pathologist.

Safety and when to act

If your child stops using words or skills they had, or you have new worries, see your GP. Do not wait.
If your child is 3 or older and people who know them well understand very little of what they say, or your child is 2 or older and not putting two or more words together, see your GP or child health nurse for advice.
Hearing problems can affect talking. Ask your GP about a hearing test, especially after a lot of ear infections.
If your child stutters, contact a speech pathologist. Give your child time to finish. Do not use word lists or sound games with a child who stutters unless your speech pathologist says so.
Tell your GP if your child often coughs, chokes or gags when eating or drinking, has wet or gurgly breathing, keeps getting chest infections, or is losing weight. If food is stuck and your child cannot swallow, go to the nearest emergency department. If it is hard for them to breathe, call 000 and ask for an ambulance. If your child is choking and cannot cough or make a sound, start first aid and call 000.
Do not ask your child to say a word again and again. They may get frustrated.
You can do these ideas in any language. Learning more than one language does not cause talking problems.
Young children rarely say when they cannot see well. Ask your GP or child health nurse about a vision check.
These ideas do not replace a speech pathologist. Stay on the waitlist.

More help

When to see a speech pathologist

Sources

Last checked 14 October 2026

Playing with sounds in words