About Word Builder
Word Builder is where letter sounds turn into words. Each round shows a picture and reads its name aloud, and children tap letter tiles to build the word, first sound first. The game starts with short-a words like cat and map, adds the other short vowels, plays with word families — change the first sound of hat and you get a different word — and finishes with four-letter words such as frog and drum.
What children learn
- Break a spoken word into its separate sounds (c-a-t)
- Match each sound to a letter and build words left to right
- Hear the difference between the short vowels a, e, i, o and u
- Understand word families: changing one sound makes a new word
- Build four-letter words that start or end with two consonants (frog, nest)
Tips for parents
- Try “robot talk”: say the word slowly as separate sounds, c-a-t, then push them back together.
- If your child is stuck, ask what sound the word starts with rather than which letter comes next.
- Let your child say the word out loud before tapping — hearing their own voice helps.
- Short vowels are the hard part. If e and i keep getting mixed up, practise just those two with pairs like pen and pin.
- Name what went right: “You got the first and last sounds!” is useful feedback.
Want more ideas? Our guide From Letter Sounds to Words: Helping Your Child Blend and Build CVC Words explains the skill in depth, with activities to try at home.
Tips for teachers
- Mirrors the encoding step of systematic phonics: hear the word, segment it, choose the letters.
- Word Families works well on a whiteboard, with pupils voting on the first letter.
- Practises Common Core RF.K.2d (isolate sounds in CVC words), RF.K.2e (substitute sounds to make new words) and RF.1.3b (decode one-syllable words).
- In the four-letter stage, check pupils say both consonants of a blend (f-r, not just f) before choosing.
Word Builder FAQ
What are CVC words?
Consonant–vowel–consonant words like cat, sun and pig. They're usually the first words children learn to read and spell, because every letter makes its most common sound.
What age is Word Builder for?
Ages 5 to 7, usually kindergarten and first grade. Children should know most single letter sounds first — Letter Sound Adventure is a good warm-up.
My child knows the letters but can't build words. Why?
Building a word needs a separate skill: hearing the individual sounds inside it. Practise saying words slowly together, and start with the first stage, where faint letter outlines help.
How are stars earned?
By building the word without placing a wrong letter. A slip never stops your child finishing the word — they just don't earn the star for that one.
Does it need sound?
The pictures work without sound, but hearing the word helps a lot. The read-aloud uses your browser's built-in voice and can be switched off with the speaker button.