Letters D and E — Dog, Egg, and Short Vowel E

"And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night." — Genesis 1:5

Our Fourth and Fifth Letters

You are doing so well! You already know A, B, and C. Today we learn two more letters: D and E. One of these is a consonant and one is a vowel. Can you guess which is which? Let us find out!

Meet the Letter D

What Does D Look Like?

Uppercase D has a tall straight line on the left with a big bump curving out to the right:

D

To write uppercase D:

1. Draw a tall straight line going down
2. Go back to the top
3. Draw a big curve going out to the right and back down to the bottom

Lowercase d has a circle on the left with a tall straight line on the right:

d

To write lowercase d:

1. Draw a small circle going to the left
2. Then draw a tall straight line up on the right side and back down

Important: B and D Are Different!

Many children mix up b and d. Here is a trick to remember:

• b has its bump on the right (like a belly facing right)
• d has its bump on the left (like a belly facing left)

Hold up both fists with your thumbs pointing up. Your LEFT hand makes a b shape. Your RIGHT hand makes a d shape!

What Sound Does D Make?

Put your tongue on the bump behind your top teeth and let it tap down: /d/! Say it: /d/ — /d/ — /d/!

D Is for Day

God called the light "Day" (Genesis 1:5). Every day is a gift from God! The word "Day" starts with the letter D.

More D words: Dog, Duck, Door, Drum, Dad, Dove, Donkey

Meet the Letter E

What Does E Look Like?

Uppercase E has a tall straight line with three shorter lines sticking out to the right:

E

To write uppercase E:

1. Draw a tall straight line going down
2. Draw a line going right at the top
3. Draw a line going right at the middle
4. Draw a line going right at the bottom

Lowercase e looks like a little curled line:

e

To write lowercase e:

1. Start in the middle
2. Draw a short line to the right
3. Curve up and around to the left, then down and slightly under

What Sound Does E Make?

The short E sound is the sound in egg. Open your mouth just a little and say: /e/! (It sounds like the beginning of "egg" or "elephant.")

Say it: /e/ — /e/ — /e/!

E Is a Vowel!

Remember how we said the letter A is a vowel? Well, E is a vowel too! E is the second vowel. The five vowels are: A, E, I, O, U. So far you know two of them: A and E.

What is special about vowels? Every word needs at least one vowel — A, E, I, O, U. God designed language so that vowels open our mouths (like singing!) and consonants shape the sound. Without vowels, we could not speak!

More E words: Egg, Elephant, Elf, Elbow, Engine, Eden (the garden!)

Vowels and Consonants

Now that we know five letters, let us sort them:

Vowels: A, E Consonants: B, C, D

Vowels make sounds where your mouth stays open and your voice sings through. Consonants are where your lips, tongue, or teeth stop or shape the sound.

Try this: Say /a/ and hold it. "Aaaaaa." Your mouth stays open! Now say /b/. You have to close your lips. That is the difference between a vowel and a consonant.

Let Us Practice Beginning Sounds!

Which letter does each word start with?

• Dog — starts with D (/d/)
• Egg — starts with E (/e/)
• Apple — starts with A (/a/)
• Ball — starts with B (/b/)
• Cat — starts with C (/k/)
• Duck — starts with D (/d/)
• Elephant — starts with E (/e/)

You are getting so good at hearing beginning sounds! This skill will help you become a wonderful reader.

Handwriting Practice

1. Trace uppercase D five times, then write it five times
2. Trace lowercase d five times, then write it five times
3. Trace uppercase E five times, then write it five times
4. Trace lowercase e five times, then write it five times

Take your time with each letter. Neat handwriting honors God!

A Thought to Carry

God called the light "Day" — that is our D word! And the garden of Eden starts with E. Every letter you learn opens up more of God's beautiful Word for you to read someday soon.