How to Teach K Sound: Articulation Activities, and Word Lists for Effective Speech Therapy

To teach the K sound, have the child lift the BACK of the tongue to touch the roof of the mouth near the throat, build up air, then release it in a quick burst — with no voice. It’s a “back sound,” so the trick is keeping the tongue tip DOWN. Two cues that work well: call it the “coughing sound” (a light cough is basically a K), and have the child lie on their back so gravity pulls the tongue backward. Practice in order: the sound alone, then syllables (ka, ke, ko), then words (key, cat, book), then phrases and sentences. The /k/ sound usually develops by age 3 to 4. If your child says “t” instead (“tat” for “cat,” “tar” for “car”), that’s called fronting — the fix is drawing the tongue tip down and the back up.

The “k” sound is an unvoiced velar plosive, which means that it is produced by briefly stopping the airflow from the lungs using the back of the tongue (velar) and then releasing it in a sudden burst (plosive). Unlike voiced sounds like “g,” the vocal cords do not vibrate during the production of this sound.

To produce the “k” sound, you need to raise the back of your tongue towards the soft palate or velum, which is located at the back of your mouth, and then release it while simultaneously pushing air out of your lungs. This creates a sudden burst of sound that is characterized by a sharp, aspirated noise. You can try producing this sound by saying the word “cat” or “key” and paying attention to the way your tongue and breath work together to create the sound. In phonetics, this sound is represented by the symbol /k/. It is also sometimes referred to as the “voiceless velar plosive.”

Initial K Words (words with the K sound at the start)

1-syllable: cab, cage, cake, calf, call, calm, came, camp, can, cane, cap, car, card, care, cart, case, cash, cat, cave, coach, coal, coast, coat, code, coin, cold, comb, cone, cook, cool, cop, cord, corn, cost, cough, count, court, cow, cub, cup, curl, cut, kick, kid, kind, king, kiss, kit, kite

2-syllable: cabbage, cabin, cactus, candle, candy, canyon, carpet, carrot, castle, catfish, ketchup, kitchen, kitten, koala, cookie, cotton, cousin, cupcake, curtain, cushion

Medial K Words (K sound in the middle)

2-syllable: bacon, become, jacket, monkey, napkin, pancake, pocket, raccoon, rocket, second, sticker, ticket, turkey

3-syllable: broccoli, chocolate, recorder, telescope

Final K Words (words that end with the K sound)

1-syllable: back, bake, beak, bike, book, brick, cake, chalk, cheek, chick, clock, cook, deck, desk, duck, hawk, hook, kick, lake, leak, lick, lock, look, luck, make, milk, neck, pack, peek, pick, rock, sack, sick, snake, sock, take, talk, thick, truck, walk, week, wick

2-syllable: attack, backpack, notebook, pancake, seasick

Here are few tips you can follow to teach the “k” sound:

Demonstrate the sound: Start by demonstrating the “K” sound for your child. Make the sound and have your child watch your lips and mouth movements. Explain that the sound is made by pressing the back of the tongue against the roof of the mouth and releasing it with a burst of air.

Visual Cue: Show the child how to place the back of their tongue against the soft palate at the back of their mouth, and then release the air with a brief burst of sound. You can use a mirror to help the child see how their tongue is positioned. You can also use a visual cue such as a picture or flashcard of a “K” to help your child remember the sound.

Understand the sound: Help your child understand that the “K” sound is an unvoiced consonant made by pressing the back of the tongue against the roof of the mouth and releasing it with a burst of air.

Practice Tongue Placement: Practice Tongue Placement: Show your child how to lift the BACK of their tongue up to touch the roof of the mouth near the throat, keeping the tongue tip down, then release it for a quick “K.” The back of the tongue lifts up — it doesn’t stay flat.

Practice in Isolation: Once your child has mastered the correct tongue and mouth position, have them practice making the “K” sound on its own without any other sounds.

Add Syllables: After your child has mastered the “K” sound in isolation, have them practice using it in different syllables, such as “ka,” “ke,” and “ko.” You can make it more fun by having them say words like “kangaroo,” “ketchup,” and “cookie.”

Practice in Words: Once your child has mastered the “K” sound in syllables, have them practice using it in different words such as “kite,” “cat,” and “car.” Use our free k sound words memory games to teach k Initial words, k medial words & k final words.

Practice in Phrases: After your child has mastered the “K” sound in words, have them practice using it in phrases like “big kite,” “my cat,” and “red car.”

Practice in Sentences: Finally, have your child practice using the “K” sound in different sentences such as “I have a toy car,” “The kite flew high in the sky,” and “The cat sat on the mat.”

Practice Everywhere: Encourage your child to practice the “K” sound in different contexts — during playtime, mealtime, or while reading books together.

Free K interactive audio flashcards featuring words with the “K” sound words can be a useful tool for improving pronunciation and vocabulary.