Words that Start With the Letter P for Kids
Our list of letter P words comes with letter P activities and tips for teaching the letter P sound and words to your child.
This comprehensive list of letter P words is designed to help preschool, kindergarten, and elementary students get familiar with the letter P sound and grow their vocabulary with a list of letter P words.
Young learners may need adults to read unknown words aloud, helping them hear the beginning letter P sound. Simply print out our list of letter P words to work on with your child, along with our letter P pictures to help your child gain an understanding of what these new words mean. You’ll find simple words, such as pig, as well as more challenging words, like patient.
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 P, 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 further aid your child in learning each word’s meaning. We’re also sharing letter P activities for children to help enhance their learning, as well as tips for parents on how to teach letter P words to their children.
Lists of Letter P 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 P, 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 P Words
☐ pad: a piece of soft material used as a cushion. “She placed a pad on the hard seat.”
☐ pal: a friend. “He went to the park with his pal.”
☐ pan: a metal container used for cooking. “She fried eggs in the pan.”
☐ pat: to touch gently with a flat hand. “She gave the dog a pat on the head.”
☐ pet: an animal kept for companionship. “He has a pet cat.”
☐ pin: a small, thin piece of metal used for fastening. “She used a pin to hold the fabric together.”
☐ pit: a large hole in the ground. “They dug a pit for the campfire.”
☐ pod: a long, thin part of some plants that contains seeds. “They picked peas from the pod.”
☐ pot: a container used for cooking. “She cooked soup in the large pot.”
☐ pup: a young dog. “The pup played with a ball.”
Simple Preschool Letter P Words
☐ page: one side of a sheet of paper. “She read a page from her book.”
☐ pair: two things that are similar and meant to be used together. “She bought a new pair of shoes.”
☐ park: a large public green area. “They had a picnic in the park.”
☐ path: a track created for walking through an area. “They followed the path through the woods.”
☐ pear: a sweet fruit with a rounded shape and thin skin. “She ate a ripe pear.”
☐ peel: to remove the outer layer. “He began to peel the orange.”
☐ pen: a tool for writing with ink. “She signed her name with a pen.”
☐pink: a color that is a lighter, pastel shade of red. “The kids played with a pink beach ball.”
☐ pig: a farm animal with a snout and a curly tail. “The pig rolled in the mud.”
Kindergarten Letter P Words
☐ palace: a large and impressive home of a ruler or an important person. “The king lived in a grand palace.”
☐ panic: a sudden feeling of fear that you cannot control. “She felt panic when she lost her way.”
☐ parcel: a package or bundle of items. “The mailman delivered a parcel.”
☐ pardon: the action of forgiving or being forgiven. “He asked for a pardon.”
☐ parrot: a colorful bird known for its ability to mimic sounds. “The parrot said ‘hello’ from its cage.”
☐ pastel: a soft and delicate shade of a color. “She painted the room pastel blue.”
☐ pebble: a small, smooth stone. “She collected a pebble from the beach.”
☐ pedal: a lever pressed by the foot in a machine. “He pushed the pedal on his bike.”
☐ pirate: a person who robs or commits illegal acts at sea. “They dressed as a pirate for Halloween.”
Elementary Letter P Words
☐ parade: a public procession celebrating a special day or event. “They watched the parade on Main Street.”
☐ patient: able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious. “She was patient with the slow service.”
☐ pattern: a repeated decorative design. “She liked the floral pattern on the dress.”
☐ penalty: a punishment for breaking a law, rule, or contract. “He received a penalty for speeding.”
☐ perfect: having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics. “Her height made her perfect for organizing the tall shelves.”
☐ perform: to carry out an action or task. “He will perform in the school play.”
☐ photograph: a picture made using a camera. “She took a photograph of the sunset.”
☐ picnic: an outing or occasion that involves taking a packed meal to be eaten outdoors. “They went for a picnic in the park.”
☐ polite: showing good manners towards others. “He was polite to everyone he met.”
Letter P Food Words
☐ pancake: a thin, flat cake that’s often eaten for breakfast. “She made pancakes with blueberries in them.”
☐ papaya: a tropical fruit with orange flesh. “He enjoyed a slice of papaya.”
☐ pasta: a food originally from Italy made from durum wheat and water that comes in various shapes. “They had pasta with vegetables for dinner.”
☐ peach: a round, juicy fruit with fuzzy skin. “She ate a peach for snack.”
☐ peanut: a plant with seeds that are often roasted and eaten. “He spread peanut butter on his toast.”
☐ pear: a sweet fruit with a thin skin and soft flesh. “She packed a pear in her lunch.”
☐ pepper: a vegetable that can be spicy. “He added fresh sliced pepper to his salad.”
☐ pie: a baked dish of fruit or meat and vegetables, typically with a top and base of pastry. “They baked an apple pie.”
☐ pineapple: a large tropical fruit with rough, spiky skin and a sweet yellow interior. “She cut the pineapple into cubes for dessert.”
☐pizza: a dough topped with sauce, cheese, and variety of vegetables and meat. “The children enjoyed eating pizza at the birthday party.”
☐ plum: a small, round fruit with a smooth skin and sweet flesh. “He picked a plum from the tree and ate it.”
Letter P Animal Words
☐ panda: a large black and white mammal that looks similar to a bear. “The children watched the panda eat bamboo at the zoo.”
☐ panther: a large wild cat with a black coat. “The panther moved silently through the forest.”
☐ parakeet: a small, colorful bird often kept as a pet. “The parakeet chirped happily in its cage.”
☐ pelican: a large water bird with a long bill. “The pelican caught a fish in its big beak.”
☐ penguin: a flightless bird that lives in cold regions. “The penguin waddled on the ice.”
☐ poodle: a breed of dog known for its curly hair. “Her dog is a poodle named Pattie.”
☐ porcupine: a small mammal with sharp quills on its back. “The porcupine bristled when it was scared.”
☐ prairie dog: a small, burrowing rodent. “The prairie dog peeked out of its hole.”
☐ puffin: a seabird with a colorful beak. “They saw a puffin on the cliffs.”
☐ python: a large, non-venomous snake. “The python wrapped around the tree branch.”
☐ platypus: an unusual mammal with a duckbill and webbed feet that lays eggs. “The platypus is unique to Australia.”
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Letter P Object Words
☐ palette: a board used by artists to mix colors. “She arranged the paints on her palette.”
☐ paperclip: a small piece of bent wire used to hold sheets of paper together. “He used a paperclip to keep his notes organized.”
☐ passport: a document issued by a country to a citizen allowing that person to travel to a different country. “She showed her passport at the airport.”
☐ pencil: an instrument for writing or drawing, consisting of a thin stick of graphite or a similar substance enclosed in wood. “He sharpened his pencil before starting his homework.”
☐ perfume: a liquid with a pleasant smell, used to scent the body. “She sprayed perfume on her wrist.”
☐ pillow: a soft cushion that supports the head during sleep. “He fluffed his pillow before going to bed.”
☐ poster: a large printed picture used for decoration or advertisement. “She hung a movie poster on her wall.”
☐ puzzle: a game featuring a problem that’s solved by using thought or rearranging letters, words, or numbers to find answers. “They worked together to complete the puzzle.”
☐ pyramid: a large structure with a square or triangular base and sloping sides that meet in a point at the top. “They visited the ancient pyramid in Egypt.”
Letter P Places Words
☐ park: a large public green area in a town, used for recreation. “They walked their dog in the park.”
☐ parkway: a wide road with a dividing strip of grass, trees, or flowers. “They drove along the parkway.”
☐ pier: a structure leading out from the shore into the water, used as a place for ships to dock or people to walk. “They fished from the pier.”
☐ plaza: an open area in towns or cities with shops, walkways, and plantings. “They met at the plaza for coffee.”
☐ port: a town or city with a harbor where ships load or unload. “The port was busy with cargo ships.”
☐ prairie: a large open area of grassland. “They saw bison on the prairie.”
Letter P Nature and Environment Words
☐ peak: the pointed top of a mountain. “They climbed to the peak of the mountain.”
☐ pine: a type of tree that has needles instead of leaves and stays green all year round. “They planted a pine tree in the backyard.”
☐ plateau: an area of high, flat land. “They hiked across the plateau.”
☐ pond: a small body of still water. “They fed the ducks at the pond.”
☐ precipice: a very steep rock face or cliff. “They stood at the edge of the precipice and looked down.”
☐ puddle: a small pool of water, usually from rain. “He jumped over the puddle.”
☐ pulse: the number of times a heart beats in a certain time period, usually a minute. “She felt her pulse after running.”
☐ pyrite: a shiny yellow mineral also known as fool’s gold. “He found a piece of pyrite in the mine.”
Letter P Emotions and Traits Words
☐ peaceful: free from disturbance; tranquil. “The garden was a peaceful place to relax.”
☐ persistent: continuing to try to do something even if it’s difficult or others tell you to stop. “She was persistent in her studies.”
☐ playful: fond of games and amusement; lighthearted. “The kitten was very playful.”
☐ pleasant: giving a sense of happy satisfaction or enjoyment. “The weather was pleasant.”
☐ proud: feeling satisfaction from an achievement. “She was proud of winning her tennis match.”
☐ puzzled: unable to understand; perplexed. “He looked puzzled at the strange instructions.”
Letter P Action Words
☐ paint: to cover a surface with paint. “They decided to paint the fence.”
☐ park: to bring a vehicle to a halt and leave it temporarily. “They will park the car near the store.”
☐ paste: to stick something to something else with glue. “She used glue to paste the picture in her scrapbook.”
☐ pause: to stop temporarily. “She took a pause to catch her breath.”
☐ pick: to choose or select from a group. “She will pick a dress for the party.”
☐ plant: to place a seed in the ground to grow. “They decided to plant flowers in the garden.”
☐ play: to engage in an activity for enjoyment. “The children went outside to play.”
Free Printable Letter P Words Lists
Download and print our PDFs of the letter P word lists to review with your children. One list includes all of our letter P words and the other lists features our letter P words along with their definitions and the words used in a simple sentence.
Letter P Words with Pictures
Preschoolers and kindergarteners will appreciate having illustrations to look at while learning new letter P words. As you read the words aloud to them, draw their attention to the letter P sound as you pronounce the word. Point at the corresponding picture as you say the letter P word. You can choose from our printable letter P words with pictures to color or letter P words with illustrations.
Letter P Activities
Letter P Song:
Learning about the letter P is especially fun when it’s a song kids can listen, dance, and sing to.
Letter P Worksheets:
These free printable letter P worksheets can help children learn to recognize the letter P, say its name and the sound it makes, and start learning how to write it, too.
Tips for Teaching Letter P Words
- Practice Saying Pop!
Saying the word “pop” creates a great opportunity to make the letter P sound and emphasize it at the beginning and end of the word. It can be especially helpful to sit with your child and say the word into a mirror so they can watch their mouth moving to create the P sound.
- Feel the Sound of the Letter P
Explain to your child that when they make the letter P sound, they’ll start with their lips together and teeth apart. As they create the letter P sound, a puff of air will come out of their mouths. They can feel it if they hold their hand in front of their mouth as they make the sound.
- Practice Patience
Learning new sounds can be tricky, as some letter sounds are harder to master than others. Whether it’s the sound of the letter P or another letter sound, take your time mastering each letter sound and take a break if your child becomes frustrated.
Additional Resources
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