Words that Start With the Letter A for Kids
Check out our list of letter A words, letter A activities, and tips for teaching the letter A sound and words to your child.
Help grow your child’s vocabulary and recognition of the letter A sound with these letter A words for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary students. While young children may not be able to read many of these words on their own, adults can read any unknown words aloud to their child, helping them hear the beginning letter A sound. Simply print out our list of letter A words to work on with your child, along with our letter A pictures to help your child practice these new words and grow a connection to their meaning.
The list of letter A words are divided into categories, including simple three-letter words, words for preschoolers and kindergarteners, and letter A words for animals, foods, and more. As you read the list of letter A words, you’ll also notice more challenging words, such as ascend and aardvark.
Pick and choose the words you feel are appropriate for your child, and remember that this list can be used to familiarize your child with the sound of the letter A, as a vocabulary list, or as a spelling list.
We’ve also included a definition of each word and used it in a short sentence, which can aid in growing your child’s understanding of what each word means. Extend learning even more with our list of letter A activities to try with your child.
Lists of Letter A Words
Select the words that you think are suitable for your child. Keep in mind that these lists of words can be used to help familiarize your child with the sound of the letter A, act as a list for vocabulary building, or be used for spelling practice. Younger children will likely need you to read the list to them.
3-Letter A Words
☐ aid: to provide help. “She will aid in the search.”
☐ aim: to direct a course. “Aim the dart at the board.”
☐ air: the invisible gaseous substance surrounding the earth. “We need fresh air.”
☐ all: the whole quantity. “All the cookies were eaten.”
☐ and: in addition to. “She studies and works.”
☐ ape: a large primate. “The ape lives in the jungle.”
☐ arc: a part of the circumference of a circle. “The rainbow formed a perfect arc.”
☐ arm: each of the two upper limbs of the human body. “He broke his arm.”
☐ ask: to request something. “I’ll ask my mom if we can have an apple.”
Simple Preschool Letter A Words
☐ a: the word we use before one thing or person. “I saw a cat.”
☐ ace: someone who excels. “She’s an ace at math.”
☐ act: to perform a part in a play. “He can act.”
☐ add: to combine or increase quantities. “Let’s add the numbers.”
☐ age: how old someone or something is. “What is your age?”
☐ am: “I am” means “I exist” or “I’m present.” “I am happy.”
☐ an: use it before a word that starts with a vowel sound. “An apple.”
☐ ark: a large boat. “Let’s pretend this big box is an ark on the sea.”
☐ art: the expression of creativity or imagination. “We made art in class.”
☐ as: used to help describe something or when something happens at the same time. “He sang as he worked.”
☐ at: shows where something is or happened. “We met at the school.”
☐ aunt: the sister of one’s father or mother. “My aunt visited us.”
☐ auto: short for automobile; a car. “We saw a red auto.”
Kindergarten Words
☐ acorn: the nut of an oak tree. “The squirrel hid an acorn.”
☐ album: a collection of photographs or music. “We looked at the photo album.”
☐ area: the measurement of a surface. “The total area of the field is 200.”
☐ also: in addition to. “I have a cat, and I also have a dog.”
☐ antler: a bony growth on the head of a deer. “The deer had large antlers.”
☐ apple: a fruit that is typically round, red, or green, and eaten as food. “She enjoyed a fresh apple.”
☐ apron: a garment worn to protect clothing. “Mom wears an apron when she cooks.”
☐ arrow: a thin, pointed shaft shot from a bow. “The arrow flew straight.”
☐ artist: a person who creates art. “The artist painted a beautiful scene.”
☐ award: a prize given for an achievement. “She won an award.”
Elementary Words
☐ ability: the skill to do something. “She has the ability to sing beautifully.”
☐ actor: someone who pretends to be someone else in movies or plays. “The actor was really good in that movie.”
☐ adult: a grown-up person. “Adults go to work.”
☐ advice: suggestions about what to do. “My mom gives good advice.”
☐ agree: to have the same opinion. “We agree that ice cream is delicious.”
☐ algorithm: a set of steps to solve a problem. “We use an algorithm to do math problems.”
☐ alliteration: when words start with the same sound. “Silly Sally sells seashells is alliteration.”
☐ alive: something that is living. “Spring makes flowers come alive.”
☐ amphibian: animals that live both in water and on land. “Frogs are amphibians because they start in water as tadpoles.”
☐ ancient: very, very old. “The ancient pyramid is thousands of years old.”
☐ anecdote: a short funny or interesting story. “My dad tells an anecdote about his childhood.”
☐ angry: feeling mad about something. “He was angry when he lost his toy.”
☐ antagonist: the bad person in a story. “The antagonist tried to stop the hero.”
☐ anyone: any person. “Anyone can learn to swim.”
☐ April: the fourth month of the year. “My birthday is in April.”
☐ again: another time “I’d like to go to the zoo again.”
☐ aroma: the smell something gives off. “The aroma of fresh-baked cookies smells wonderful.”
☐ apply: to use something or to ask formally for something. “You apply paint to a canvas.”
☐ astronaut: a person who travels into space. “The astronaut went to the moon.”
☐ astronomy: the study of stars, planets, and space. “We learned about the planets in astronomy.”
☐ attract: to pull towards or to make interested. “Magnets attract metal.”
☐ avoid: to stay away from something. “Avoid touching the hot stove.”
☐ airplane: a flying vehicle with wings and engines. “We flew in an airplane to visit grandma.”
☐ aloud: when something is spoken so others can hear it. “Please read the book aloud to the class.”
Food Words
☐ acai: a dark purple berry that’s super good for you. “We had acai in our smoothie.”
☐ almonds: a kind of nut that’s tasty and healthy. “Almonds are great for snacking.”
☐ anchovies: tiny fish that are really salty. “Anchovies are on some pizzas.”
☐ apricot: a small, soft orange fruit. “Apricots are sweet and yummy.”
☐ artichoke: a green vegetable with lots of layers. “We dipped artichoke leaves in butter.”
☐ arugula: a leafy green that’s a bit spicy. “Arugula makes salads interesting.”
☐ asparagus: a long, green vegetable. “Mom roasts asparagus with cheese.”
☐ asiago: a cheese that’s really good on pasta. “We sprinkled asiago on our spaghetti.”
☐ avocado: a green fruit with a big seed in the middle. “Avocado is creamy and good on toast.”
Animal Words
☐ aardvark: a night animal that eats ants. “The aardvark dug in the dirt.”
☐ albatross: a big sea bird. “The albatross flew over the waves.”
☐ alligator: a big reptile with a strong tail. “The alligator lay in the sun.”
☐ angelfish: a colorful tropical fish. “The angelfish swam by the coral.”
☐ anemone: a sea animal that looks like a flower. “A clownfish hid in the anemone.”
☐ ant: a small insect that works in groups. “An ant carried a leaf.”
☐ antechinus: a small meat-eating marsupial. “The antechinus hunted at night.”
☐ antelope: a fast animal with horns. “The antelope jumped high.”
☐ aphid: tiny insects that eat plant sap. “An aphid clung to the leaf.”
☐ alpaca: a fluffy animal valued for its wool. “The alpaca chewed grass.”
☐ anaconda: a very big snake. “The anaconda slid into the water.”
☐ auk: a bird that can dive and fly. “An auk dove into the sea.”
☐ asp: a poisonous snake. “The asp hid under a rock.”
☐ armadillo: an animal with a hard shell. “The armadillo rolled up.”
☐ axolotl: a salamander that lives in water. “The axolotl swam gracefully.”
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Object Words
☐ adapter: a device used to connect one piece of electronic equipment to another. “I needed an adapter to connect my computer to my new monitor.”
☐ accordion: a musical instrument with pleated bellows and a keyboard. “He played the accordion at the festival.”
☐ amplifier: an electronic device that increases the power of a signal. “The guitarist plugged his guitar into the amplifier to make it sound louder.”
☐ antenna: a rod, wire, or other device used to transmit or receive radio or television signals. “We adjusted the antenna for better reception.”
☐ almanac: a book published every year containing information about the movements of the planets, weather forecasts, and other data. “Farmers often refer to the almanac.”
☐ alarm: alerts someone with a loud noise for security purposes. “The fire alarm sounded when it sensed smoke in the air.”
☐ abacus: a frame with beads sliding on wires, used for calculating. “Children in ancient times learned math with an abacus.”
Places Words
☐ airport: a place where airplanes take off and land. “The plane landed at the airport.”
☐ aquarium: a place for displaying aquatic animals. “We visited the aquarium to see the sharks.”
☐ alley: a narrow path between buildings. “He walked down the alley.”
☐ amphitheater: an open venue for events. “The concert was held in the amphitheater.”
☐ apartment: living space in a building. “She lives in an apartment.”
☐ archipelago: a group of islands. “The archipelago was beautiful from above.”
☐ arena: a place for sports and shows. “The hockey game was in the arena.”
☐ aisle: a passage between rows of shelves or seats. “Let’s walk down the cereal aisle.”
☐ avenue: a wide city street. “The parade marched down the avenue.”
☐ asylum: a place of refuge. “He sought asylum from the storm.”
☐ alcove: a recessed section of a room. “The alcove was her favorite reading spot.”
☐ arcade: a covered passage with shops. “They played games in the arcade.”
☐ arctic: the region around the North Pole. “Polar bears live in the Arctic.”
Nature and Environment Words
☐ aurora: a natural light display in the Earth’s sky, predominantly seen in the high-latitude regions. “The aurora borealis is a spectacular sight.”
☐ atmosphere: the gasses surrounding the Earth and other planets. “The atmosphere protects us from harmful solar radiation.”
☐ arid: having little or no rain; too dry to support vegetation. “The desert is an arid place.”
☐ algae: a simple nonflowering plant that typically lives in water. Includes seaweed. “Algae can be found in almost any body of water.”
☐ asteroid: a small rocky body orbiting the sun. “Asteroids are studied to learn more about the solar system.”
☐ aquifer: an underground layer of rock or sediment that holds water. “Wells are drilled into aquifers for water.”
☐ avalanche: a mass of snow, ice, and rocks falling rapidly down a mountainside. “An avalanche can be very dangerous.”
☐ aspen: a type of tree known for its trembling leaves. “The aspen trees turn golden in the fall.”
☐ anthill: a mound of earth formed by ants as they dig their underground nests. “We saw a large anthill in the park.”
Emotions and Traits
☐ active: being very energetic and moving around a lot. “She was always active during recess.”
☐ adventurous: eager to try new and exciting things. “He felt adventurous and climbed the tallest slide.”
☐ agreeable: ready to agree or say yes to things. “The agreeable student nodded at the teacher’s suggestion.”
☐ alert: paying close attention and being ready. “The puppy remained alert while watching the squirrel.”
☐ aloof: acting distant and not friendly. “He remained aloof during the group activity.”
☐ amazing: causing great surprise or wonder. “The magic trick was so amazing, it made her gasp.”
☐ amused: finding something funny or entertaining. “He was amused by the funny faces his friend made.”
☐ anxious: feeling worried or nervous. “She felt anxious before her speech.”
☐ appreciative: feeling or showing gratitude. “She was appreciative of her friend’s help with homework.”
☐ artistic: good at creating art or enjoying art. “The artistic student won the drawing contest.”
☐ attentive: paying close attention to something. “The attentive audience listened to the story.”
☐ awesome: very impressive or amazing. “The fireworks show was awesome!”
Action Words
☐ abandon: to stop looking after someone or something. “He abandoned the project halfway through.”
☐ accelerate: begin to move more quickly. “The car accelerated down the road.”
☐ ascend: go up or climb. “He ascended the mountain early in the morning.”
☐ accept: to agree to receive or believe something. “He decided to accept the gift with a big smile.”
☐ amend: make minor changes to a document in order to make it more accurate. “The document was amended to reflect the new changes.”
☐ adore: love and respect someone or something deeply. “She adored her grandmother.”
☐ analyze: to examine something in detail. “We need to analyze the data thoroughly.”
☐ appease: to please someone by giving into their demands. “He appeased his boss by agreeing to work an extra shift.”
☐ assemble: gather together in one place for a common purpose. “They assembled at the park for the concert.”
☐ absorb: to take something in gradually. “Sally absorbed the new information as her teacher talked.”
☐ assess: evaluate or estimate the ability or quality of something. “The teacher assessed the students’ projects.”
☐ adjust: to move or change something slightly. “Can you adjust the painting so it looks straight?”
☐ align: place or arrange things in a straight line. “She aligned the books on the shelf.”
☐ adopt: legally bring up another person’s child as one’s own. “They decided to adopt a child.”
☐ articulate: to clearly express an idea or feeling. “She articulated her opinions on the matter.”
Free Printable Letter A Words Lists
Simply download and print our PDFs of the letter A word lists to review with your children. One list includes all of our letter A words and the other lists features our letter A words along with their definitions and the words used in a simple sentence.
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Letter A Words with Pictures
Preschoolers and kindergarteners will appreciate having illustrations to look at while learning new letter A words. As you read the words aloud to them, draw their attention to the letter A sound as you pronounce the word. Point at the corresponding picture as you say the letter A word. You can choose from our printable letter A words with pictures to color or letter A words with illustrations.
Letter A Activities
Letter A Song:
Learning about the letter A is especially fun when it’s a song kids can listen, dance, and sing to.
Letter A Worksheets:
These free printable letter A worksheets can help children learn to recognize the letter A, say its name and the sound it makes, and start learning how to write it, too.
Letter A Crafts and Activities:
These 10 fun and highly-engaging letter A activities give kids hands-on practice with the letter A.
Tips for Teaching Letter A Words
- Explore All Letter A Sounds
Teach your child that the letter A can make multiple sounds, such as the short A sound in “cat”, the long A sound in “cake”, and the “ah” sound in “father.” Use examples from everyday life to reinforce these sounds. For older children who are ready to explore vowels and their sounds, check out our collection of vowel resources and activities.
- Say and Repeat
As you read the various letter A words to your child or with your child, call their attention to the different sounds the letter A makes in each word.
- Visual Aids
When children learn new words, it can be helpful for them to see a visual representation of the word, such as seeing an apple when they learn the word apple.
Additional Resources
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