Words That Start With the Letter O for Kids
Check out our list of letter O words, letter O activities, and tips for teaching the letter O sound and words to your child.
Help your child expand their vocabulary and learn the letter O sound with these letter O words for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary students. These lists of words include simple CVC words and more complex words for older children. Whether hearing the words read to them or reading the words themselves, children will have an opportunity to grow their vocabulary and understanding of the letter O sound.
Younger children will especially enjoy the letter O coloring sheet featuring images of the letter O and pictures of words that start with the letter O.
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 O, as a vocabulary list, or as a spelling list.
You’ll also find a definition for each letter O word and the word used in a simple sentence to help your child better understand its meaning. You can further enhance learning with our printable list of letter O words, as well as a list of letter O activities to try and tips for teaching new letters and words to your child.
Lists of Letter O 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 O, 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 O Words
☐ oak: a type of large tree with acorns. “The oak tree stood tall in the park.”
☐ oar: a tool used to row a boat. “He paddled the boat with an oar.”
☐ oats: a type of grain used for food. “She added oats to the cookies.”
☐ odd: strange or unusual. “The rock had an odd shape.”
☐ ode: a type of poem. “He wrote an ode to the beautiful sunset.”
☐ off: to move away from something or someone. “He took his hat off of his head.”
☐ oil: a slippery liquid often used in cooking. “She added olive oil to the salad dressing.”
☐ old: not new or young. “The old paint was peeling off the house.”
☐ one: the number after zero. “He has one apple.”
☐ orb: a spherical shape or object. “The moon is an orb in the sky.”
☐ our: belonging to us. “This is our house.”
☐ out: not inside. “Let’s go out to play.”
☐ owe: to have an obligation to pay or repay. “I owe you ten dollars.”
☐ owl: a bird known for its wide, flat head, large eyes, and hunting small mammals at night. “The owl made a hooting sound at night.”
☐ own: to possess something. “She owns a red bike.”
Simple Preschool Letter O Words
☐ of: used to express possession, belonging, or relationship to something. “He is a friend of mine.”
☐ often: frequently; many times. “She often visits her grandparents.”
☐ oh: used to express surprise, understanding, and other emotions. “Oh, I didn’t see you there!”
☐ on: used to show that something is in contact with a surface. “The book is on the table.”
☐ only: without others; solely or exclusively. “She only wanted the pink teddy bear.”
☐ open: not closed or locked. “He can open the box.”
☐ or: used to connect two or more options. “Would you like tea or coffee?”
☐ orange: a bright color, like that of the fruit. “Her favorite crayon is orange.”
☐ oval: a shape like a stretched-out circle. “The table was shaped like an oval.”
☐ oven: a device used for baking or roasting food. “He baked dinner in the oven.”
☐ over: above, higher than, or covering something else. “The bird flew over the trees.”
☐ ox: a large animal that’s often used for pulling heavy things; a type of cattle. “The farmer used an ox to pull the cart.”
Kindergarten Letter O Words
☐ observe: to watch carefully. “They observe the different birds eating at the bird feeder.”
☐ obstacle: something that gets in your way. “The big rock was an obstacle in their path.”
☐ occur: to happen. “The meeting will occur at noon.”
☐ octagon: a shape that has eight sides. “In school, they learned to draw an octagon.”
☐ octopus: a sea animal with eight long arms. “The octopus can hide by changing its color.”
☐ offer: to present something to someone to accept or reject. “He made an offer to help with the chores.”
☐ omit: to leave out or remove. “She had to omit some details from the story due to time.”
☐ once: one single time. “She has only been there once.”
☐ only: one of its kind; single or solitary. “She is the only one who can help.”
☐ onto: to move to a position that’s on something. “He jumped onto the trampoline.”
☐ orbit: the path one object takes around another. “The Earth is in orbit around the Sun.”
☐ order: to request something to be made or supplied. “She decided to order pizza for dinner.”
☐ organ: a part of the body that has a specific function, like the heart or liver. “The heart is an important organ.”
☐ owner: someone who possesses something. “The dog’s owner took it for a walk.”
Elementary Letter O Words
☐ obey: to follow instructions. “He must obey the school rules.”
☐ object: a material thing that can be seen and touched. “The object on the table is a vase.”
☐ obsolete: old and not used anymore. “The toy became obsolete a few years later.”
☐ occasion: a special time or event. “They go out to eat when there’s a special occasion, like a birthday.”
☐ October: the tenth month of the year. “Her birthday is in October.”
☐ odometer: a tool in a car that shows how many miles it has gone. “Mom looked at the odometer to see how far we drove.”
☐ officer: a person holding a position of command. “The officer directed the crowd.”
☐ ominous: looking like something bad will happen. “The sky looked ominous before the storm.”
☐ omnivore: an animal that eats both plants and other animals. “A bear is an omnivore because it eats berries and fish.”
☐ online: being connected to the internet. “She researched her vacation online.”
☐ opinion: someone’s belief about something that isn’t necessarily fact. “He has a strong opinion about elephants being pets.”
☐ opponent: someone you play against in a game. “After the game, he shook hands with his opponent.”
☐ opulent: being very fancy or showing richness and abundance. “The castle was filled with opulent furniture and decorations.”
☐ orchestra: a group of people who play music together with different instruments. “She saw an orchestra play beautiful music.”
☐ ordinary: with no special or unique features. “The cat looked very ordinary, with plain gray fur and no special markings.”
☐ origami: the art of folding paper into shapes like birds or flowers. “They made origami birds with paper.”
☐ origin: the point where something begins. “The origin of the river is in the mountains.”
☐ other: refers to a person or thing that is different from something else. “The other car was red.”
☐ ounce: a unit of weight. “She added an ounce of chocolate to the recipe.”
☐ outcome: the result of an action or event. “The outcome of the game was a tie.”
☐ ovation: clapping loudly for a long time to show you enjoyed a performance. “The singer got a big ovation after her song.”
☐ overflow: to flow over the edges of something. “The river may overflow its banks during heavy rain.”
Letter O Food Words
☐ oatcake: a type of flatbread made from oats that’s popular in Scotland. “They served oatcakes with cheese as a snack.”
☐ oatmeal: a breakfast food made from oats, water, or milk. “She eats oatmeal every morning.”
☐ oat milk: a drink made from oats and water; substitute for dairy milk. “He poured oat milk into his cereal.”
☐ okra: an edible seed pod that’s often used in soups and stews. “She picked okra from the garden to use in a soup for dinner.”
☐ olive: a small green, brown, or black fruit used in savory foods. “He added olives to the salad.”
☐ olive oil: oil extracted from olives, used for cooking. “She drizzled olive oil onto the slices of bread.”
☐ omelet: eggs that are beaten and cooked so they can be filled with cheese, meat, or vegetables and folded in half. “She made a cheese omelet for breakfast.”
☐ onion: a vegetable with a strong flavor and smell. “She chopped an onion for the soup.”
☐ orange: a round, sweet citrus fruit with a thick skin that is peeled off before eating. “She peeled an orange for a snack.”
☐ oregano: herb used in cooking. “He sprinkled dried oregano on the pizza.”
☐ orzo: a type of pasta shaped like large grains of rice. “She served orzo with her chicken dish.”
☐ oxtail: the tail of a cow, used to make a rich soup or stew. “They enjoyed a hearty oxtail soup during dinner.”
☐ oyster: a type of shellfish often eaten cooked or raw. “They enjoyed fresh oysters at the seafood restaurant.”
Letter O Animal Words
☐ ocelot: a wild cat with spotted fur that’s found in South America. “The ocelot prowled through the jungle.”
☐ okapi: an animal that looks like a cross between a zebra and a giraffe. “The okapi grazed on leaves in the forest.”
☐ olm: a blind aquatic salamander that lives in caves. “The olm can live for many years without food.”
☐ opossum: a small nocturnal animal with fur and a long tail that climbs trees. “The kids spotted an opossum in the tree.”
☐ orangutan: a large ape with red-brown hair and long arms. “The orangutan swung from branch to branch.”
☐ orca: a large black and white whale. “The orca jumped out of the water.”
☐ oriole: a colorful bird known for its bright colors and sweet song. “The oriole built a nest in the tree.”
☐ osprey: a bird of prey that catches fish from the water. “The osprey dove into the lake to catch its meal.”
☐ ostrich: a tall bird with a long neck and legs that cannot fly. “The ostrich ran fast across the field.”
☐ otter: a small mammal with a long tail that lives in water. “The otter swam gracefully in the river.”
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Letter O Object Words
☐ oboe: a woodwind musical instrument with a slender shape and a rich sound. “He learned to play the oboe in music class.”
☐ ocarina: a small musical instrument shaped like a potato, played by blowing air into it. “She played a tune on her ocarina.”
☐ oilcan: a container with a spout used for applying oil to machinery. “He used the oilcan to lubricate the hinges.”
☐ ornament: a decoration used to beautify something. “They hung a shiny ornament on the Christmas tree.”
☐ ottoman: a low, upholstered seat without a back or arms. “She put her feet up on the ottoman.”
☐ outlet: an electrical point where you plug in devices to get power. “She plugged the lamp into the outlet.”
☐ overalls: a type of clothing that covers the stomach, chest, and legs and has shoulder straps. “He wore overalls while working in the garden.”
☐ overcoat: a long, heavy coat worn over clothes in cold weather. “He put on his overcoat because it was snowing.”
☐ oxcart: a cart pulled by an ox, used historically for transporting goods. “They rode in an oxcart on the old village road.”
Letter O Places Words
☐ oasis: a spot in a desert with water and plants. “They found an oasis in the middle of the desert.”
☐ observatory: a place with a big telescope to look at stars and planets. “They visited the observatory to get a better view of the stars.”
☐ office: a place where people work. “She goes to an office downtown for her job.”
☐ oil rig: a structure used for drilling oil. “He worked on an oil rig in the ocean.”
☐ opera: a place where people watch singers perform long music stories. “They saw a singer perform a beautiful song at the opera.”
☐ orchard: a place where fruit trees are grown. “They visited an apple orchard.”
☐ outskirts: the edges of a town or city. “Their house is on the outskirts of town, near the forest.”
☐ overpass: a bridge that goes over a road. “The train went over the overpass while we waited below.”
Letter O Nature and Environment Words
☐ obsidian: black or dark glass that’s formed from cooling lava. “The arrowhead was made of obsidian.”
☐ ocean: a large body of saltwater. “They went to the beach to swim in the ocean.”
☐ offshore: located in the water a short distance from land. “The fishing boats anchored offshore to catch fish.”
☐ opal: a precious stone that shimmers with different colors. “She wore a necklace with an opal on it.”
☐ ore: a type of rock that contains minerals. “They mined ore from the mountain.”
☐ orchid: a type of flower that grows in tropical climates. “She admired the colorful orchid at the botanical garden.”
☐ organic: related to or derived from nature; not exposed to traditional farming chemicals. “They bought organic fruit from the local farmer.”
☐ outcrop: a visible exposure of rock. “They climbed the rocky outcrop.”
☐ outdoors: any area outside. “They spent the afternoon playing outdoors.”
☐ overcast: covered with clouds. “The sky was overcast and gray.”
☐ overgrowth: an excessive growth of plants and vegetation. “The abandoned lot was covered with overgrowth.”
☐ oxbow: a U-shaped bend in a river. “The river formed an oxbow.”
☐ oxygen: a gas that is essential for breathing. “Plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis.”
☐ ozone: a form of oxygen high in the Earth’s atmosphere that absorbs ultraviolet radiation from the sun. “The ozone layer helps to protect us from harmful sun rays.”
Letter O Emotions and Traits
☐ obedient: willing to follow orders or instructions. “The dog was very obedient to its owner.”
☐ observant: good at noticing things. “She was observant and saw details others missed.”
☐ open-minded: willing to consider new ideas. “She was open-minded and listened to everyone’s opinions.”
☐ opinionated: having strong views. “He was very opinionated and liked to debate.”
☐ optimistic: hopeful and confident about the future. “She was optimistic about her chances of winning the game.”
☐ organized: a preference to have things arranged in an orderly way. “His desk was very organized.”
☐ outgoing: friendly and socially confident. “She was outgoing and made friends easily.”
☐ outrage: an extremely strong reaction of anger or shock. “The decision caused public outrage.”
☐ overjoyed: extremely happy. “She was overjoyed by the surprise party.”
☐ overwhelmed: feeling unable to cope with too much at once. “He felt overwhelmed by the amount of homework.”
Letter O Action Words
☐ obtain: to get something. “He obtained a sticker for good behavior.”
☐ occupy: to fill or take up space or time. “The books occupy the entire shelf.”
☐ offend: to hurt someone’s feelings. “He didn’t mean to offend his friend with his words.”
☐ operate: to control the functioning of something. “He learned how to operate the machine.”
☐ opt: to make a choice. “She decided to opt for the vegetarian meal.”
☐ optimize: to make the best use of a something. “They worked to optimize the website for better performance.”
☐ oscillate: to swing back and forth. “The fan will oscillate to blow air around the room.”
☐ overcome: to succeed in dealing with a problem. “She managed to overcome her fear of heights.”
☐ overlook: to miss seeing something. “She overlooked her sock under the bed.”
☐ overtake: to catch up with and pass. “The runner managed to overtake his competitor.”
☐ overwork: to work too much or too hard. “He overworked himself by cleaning all day.”
Free Printable Letter O Words Lists
Simply download and print our PDFs of the letter O word lists to review with your children. One list includes all of our letter O words and the other lists features our letter O words along with their definitions and the words used in a simple sentence.
Letter O Words with Pictures
Preschoolers and kindergarteners will appreciate having illustrations to look at while learning new letter O words. As you read the words aloud to them, draw their attention to the letter O sound as you pronounce the word. Point at the corresponding picture as you say the letter O word. You can choose from our printable letter O words with pictures to color or letter O words with illustrations.
Letter O Activities
Letter O Song:
Learning about the letter O is especially fun when it’s a song kids can listen, dance, and sing to.
Letter O Worksheets:
These free printable letter O worksheets can help children learn to recognize the letter O, say its name and the sound it makes, and start learning how to write it, too.
Tips for Teaching Letter O Words
- Tactile Learning
Engage your child’s senses while learning any new letter, as it can help them better connect with what they’re learning. Invite your child to form letters with clay or by tracing letters in the sand or dirt. As they make the shape of the new letter, help them practice saying its sound at the same time.
- Letter Sound of the Week
Add some fun to learning new letter sounds by picking a new letter sound for each week. Spend the week identifying things that start with the letter sound, making foods that use the designated letter sound, and hunting for the letter sound in books.
- Incorporate Technology
Use educational apps and videos that focus on the letter I, creating another learning path for your child that offers auditory and visual input.
Additional Resources
ABCmouse has educational resources for children aged 2-8, as well as resources to help parents and teachers.
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