K Words for Kids
Would you like to know more K words for kids? If so, kindly stick around and I’ll give you some keen kernels of K word options.
From kites and kittens to kangaroos and kayaks there are lots of knockout words that begin with K for kids to learn.
This post has K word lists for kindergartners, preschoolers, and elementary. As well as, extra K word lists including: three-letter K words, four-letter K words, advanced K words, animals that start with K, foods that start with K, and objects that begin with the letter K.
The Sounds of K
The letter K makes a /k/ sound as in: keep, kid, and kite. (And sounds the same as letter /c/ as in: cat, curl, and cute.)
The sound is a quick noise that cannot be stretched or prolonged. This /k/ sound is unvoiced and is made by sending a quick puff of air through the mouth. (The mouth position is similar to making a /g/ sound which is voiced.)
Additionally, when a K precedes the letter N, the K is silent as in: knife, knee, knob, knack.
The Sound of K:
- /k/ as in: kit, kept, king
- /silent k/ as in: knife, knee, knob
Note: there are also consonant letter blends that involve the letter K. Some of the K consonant blends are as follows: sk, rk, and ck.
K Words for Preschool
Since preschoolers are just beginning to work on letter recognition and sound association, the K Words you choose for Preschool should be simple, easy and recognizable.
*Working on letter recognition, letter sounds, and prewriting? Check out these printable resources: Printable Preschool Learning Folder, Preschool Daily Skill Builder, and Prewriting Book 1!
Here are some great K word ideas for preschool:
Words that begin with K for Preschool:
- Kid – Sam was a happy kid.
- Key – I have a key to my grandmother’s house.
- Kim – Kim lives next door and is my best friend.
- Kitten – The gray kitten slept in the box.
- King – The king wore a glittery, gold crown.
- Kick – I got to kick the ball during soccer practice today.
- Kettle – The tea kettle is full of water.
- Kiss – Mom gave me a goodnight kiss.
- Kind – I want to be a kind and loving person.
- Kites – We saw many colorful kites when we went to the beach.
- Keyboard – My sister knows how to play our keyboard.
K Words for Kindergarten
Kindergarteners are usually in between the letter recognition stage and early reading. With that being said, stick with simple, familiar words that use the /k/ sound rather than the silent /kn/ words to avoid any letter/sound confusion.
*Note: If your kids need more practice with letter sounds, vowels, consonants, and reading, be sure to check out the printable Kindergarten Daily Skill Builder (This resource is perfect for morning work and daily practice).
Here are some simple words and sentences that begin with K for kindergarteners:
Words that begin with K for Kindergarten:
- Kind – Our neighbor is kind and has a friendly smile.
- Ken – Ken said he would be able to come to my birthday party.
- Kitchen – Our kitchen table is rectangular and seats six people.
- Karate – My brother and I take karate lessons.
- King – The king ruled over his country with integrity.
- Keep – Do you want to keep this blanket in case you get cold?
- Kite – The kite flew high into the air.
- Kit – I got a sewing kit for my birthday.
- Koala – The Koala bear was my favorite animal in the zoo.
- Ketchup – I like to put ketchup on my hotdog.
- Kangaroo – The Kangaroo was brown.
- Keeper – She was the keeper of the antique books.
- Kitty – I hope to get a kitty cat for my birthday.
- Keychain – My dad keeps all of his keys on a keychain.
- Kiwi – Kiwi fruit is green and has black seeds.
- Kingdom – The new king had no idea how to run his kingdom.
- Kept – We kept a spare key under our door mat until it was stolen.
Furthermore, here are some easy words and sentences that end with K for kindergarteners:
Words that end with K for Kindergarten:
- Dark – The hallway was dark at night.
- Book – I read a book about elephants.
- Hook – I hung my coat on the hook by the door.
- Ink – My pen in out of ink.
- Pick – I want to pick out my own clothes.
- Pink – The dogs tongue was wet and pink.
- Truck – Our truck is broken.
- Duck – The mother duck and seven ducklings that followed her around the pond.
- Luck – Wish me luck on my test.
- Buck – The horse will not buck you off if you are careful.
Short K Words for Beginning Readers
Next, let’s take a look at some short, three and four letter K words that your early readers might encounter: Note: These K word lists for beginning readers include both the /k/ and silent K sounds.
Three letter K Words for Kids
- Kid
- Kin
- Key
- Kit
- Kim
- Ken
Four letter K Words for Kids
- Know
- Knew
- Kind
- Keen
- Konk
- Kite
- Knee
- Kelp
- Knob
- Kale
- Knot
- Kiwi
- Kick
- King
- Keep
- Kiss
- Kept
- Kill
- Knit
- Kilt
K Words for Elementary Students
Keeping track of all these K words? There’s more! Now were are on to K words for elementary students!
Note: Get the K words definitions from Dictionary.com or Merriam-Webster.com by clicking on the K word at the beginning of the sentence.
Words that start with K Words for Elementary Students:
- Kind – The elderly woman was kind and thoughtful.
- Kill – It is wrong to kill another person.
- Know – I know my multiplication facts.
- Knew – She knew all about the situation.
- Kept – Renee kept to herself for most of the day.
- Knob – Our doorknob is broken.
- Kelp – Kelp is full of healthy nutrients.
- Kick – Coffee helps me to kick-start my day.
- Kiss – The couple kissed when they got married.
- Kiwi – Kiwi is my favorite type of fruit.
- Kennel – The puppy was kept in a large outdoor kennel.
- Keyboard – She practiced her scaled on the keyboard.
- Known – Dr. Jones is known for his surgical abilities.
- Knead – I will knead the dough before letting it rise.
- Keen – He had a keen sense of smell.
- Kidney – Carol’s kidney was failing and she needed a replacement.
- Kneel – I kneel by my bed to say my bedtime prayers.
- Knife – I asked my dad for a pocket knife.
- Kettle – The tea kettle whistled on the stovetop.
- Kiosk – I went to the photo kiosk to print some pictures.
- Kazoo – He played a kazoo while the children danced.
- Kernel – I found a kernel of corn in my pocket.
- Karate – Ted takes karate lessons after school.
- Knack – My mom has a knack for making me feel better.
- Knit – Fran likes to knit by the fire.
- Keel – We are praying the boat will not keel over in the storm.
- Knuckle – My knuckle is bruised.
- Khaki – Jim wore khaki pants on club night.
- Kangaroo – The kangaroo hopped across the field.
- Kitten – Jane want a kitten for her birthday.
- Knight – George was her knight in shining armor.
- Kindle – This book will kindle your imagination.
- Kingdom – The prince ruled his kingdom with honor and integrity.
- Kindly – He kindly offered to take her to the store.
- Knowledge – The professor shared his knowledge with the class.
- Keep – I want to keep all of my drawings.
- Kite – Ben flew his kite high into the air.
- Kit – She bought an art kit.
- Kitchen – The kitchen smelled like fresh baked bread.
- Koala – The koala bear climbed up into the tree.
- Kaleidoscope – The kaleidoscope had many colors.
- Karaoke – The sang karaoke music at the party.
- Knowing – Knowing she was angry, Bill avoided her.
- Kudos – Violet deserves kudos for making it to the top.
- Knock – The girls knocked at the door and waited for someone to answer.
Big K Words for Kids
Do you have kids who enjoy using big, challenging, vocabulary words? Here are some K words that they can add to their bank of knowledge. (These K words can be used for upper elementary through high school.)
Big K Words for upper Elementary Students:
- Knowledgable – She was knowledgeable in the area of zoology.
- Kaput – The engine went kaput.
- Kumquat -We grow kumquat and oranges.
- Kindred – The friends were kindred spirits.
- Kookaburra – The Kookaburra landed on the branch.
- Kibosh – The manager put the kibosh on my idea.
- Kohlrabi – I will be planting cabbage, onions, and kohlrabi.
- Kinship – There is a strong kinship between the cousins.
- Kinetic – Riding a bicycle produces kinetic energy.
- Knotty – The knotty tree roots protruded from the forest floor.
- Knickknacks – Grandma had a shelf full of her favorite knickknacks.
Things That Start with K
Lastly, here are some basic categories of things that start with K. These K word lists would be great for letter activities, building word walls, or simple sentence construction. Here are some lists of common foods, animals, and objects that start with K.
Foods that start with K:
- Kale
- Kabobs
- Ketchup
- Kimchi
- Kidney Beans
- Kingfish
- Kipper
- Kit Kat
- Kiwi
- Kumquat
- Kvass
- King Crab
- Kielbasa
- Kettle Corn
- Kaffir
- Key Lime Pie
Animals that start with K:
- Kangaroo
- Kingfisher
- King Cobra
- Katydid
- Killer Whale
- Kitten
- Koi
- Komodo dragon
Objects that start with K:
- Kayak
- Kazoo
- Kelp
- Kernels
- Kettle
- Key
- Keyboard
- Kickstand
- Kiosk
- Kleenex
- Kite
- Kitten
- Knife
- Knob
- Knuckle
- Koala
- Knitting
- Knight
- Kitchen
- Kit
Activities and Games for Learning K Words for Kids
(This list of ideas contains Amazon Affiliate Links.)
- Use Free K Words for Kids Printables: Get the free K Words for Kids printables that are available in this post. Also, check out some free K word coloring pages, and letter K activity sheets. These types of writing and drawing activities can be really helpful in teaching letter recognition, letter formation, and fluency in writing.
- K Word Object Find – Put a collection of items in the middle of the room and have kids find the items that begin with the letter K. (This activity would be great for preschoolers and kindergarten aged students.)
- Read Books That Feature K Words for Kids – Find some of your favorite books for letter K and read through them with your kids! This is a wonderful way to get your kids to involved in identifying words that begin with K. Two of our children’s favorite books for learning K words were: Kite Day by Will Hillenbrand and Kitten’s First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes.
- K Word Pictionary – Pictionary is similar to the Charades game, except you draw the K word instead of act it out. Before you begin, make a stack of simple K words written on individual cards (Things like: kites, kittens, kangaroos, or kettles.) To play, have one child draw while the other kids (or parents) guess what it is. (Note: a timer is really helpful to keep the rounds moving.)
- Fill the K Word Categories – Write a few different categories up on a chalkboard or whiteboard. The categories can include things like: foods, animals, objects, places, furniture, clothing, names, verbs, or adjectives. Then set a timer and have your students see how many K words they can put into the categories before the timer goes off.
- Write a K Word Acrostic Poem – Using a K word, create an acrostic poem. (The K word is written vertically on a sheet of paper. Then the student will write a sentence beginning with each one of those letters.) This is a meaningful vocabulary activity for elementary students.
Free Printable K Words Learning Pack for Kids
Get our free printable K Words for Kids Learning Pack! The resource contains letter k handwriting pages, tracing cards, vocabulary, and a word list. For access to this printable, Join the Inspire the Mom community and sign in with Grow for this exclusive content!
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More Words for Kids Activity Packs
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What would you add to the K words for kids list?
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