Ending Sounds

What Are Ending Sounds?

• An ending sound is the very last sound you hear at the tail end of a word.
• It is the sound that "closes" your mouth or stops your breath when you finish speaking.
• Just like a train has a caboose, every word has an ending sound that completes it.

How to Hear the Ending Sound To find the ending sound, we use the "Punch the Air" method:

1. Say the word clearly and stretch it out (Example: C-A-T).
2. When you get to the very end, say the last sound a little louder.
3. The final "stop" you hear is the Ending Sound.
4. In CAT, the ending sound is /t/.

Matching Words by Ending Sounds Words can have different beginnings but the same ending sound. These are often called "Rhyming" families:

• The /G/ Sound: Dog, Log, Frog, Bag.
• The /N/ Sound: Sun, Pen, Bin, Fan.
• The /P/ Sound: Cup, Map, Top, Hop.

The Difference It Makes If you change the ending sound, you create a completely different word, even if the start is the same:

• Start with BA_.
• Add T = BAT (something you hit a ball with).
• Change to D = BAD (not good).
• Change to G = BAG (something to carry things in).

Why Do We Learn This?

• Reading: It helps you finish a word correctly instead of guessing.
• Writing: It ensures you write all the letters in a word, not just the first one.
• Rhyming: Knowing ending sounds is the secret to writing poems and songs!

Lesson Summary

• The ending sound is the "tail" of the word.
• It is the last sound your mouth makes before you stop.
• Words with the same ending sound often rhyme.