Words That Start With the Letter T for Kids
Check out our list of letter T words, letter T activities, and tips for teaching the letter T sound and words to your child.
Grow your child’s vocabulary while helping them learn the letter T sound with these letter T words for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary students. Our lists of words include simple three-letter words for young children and more complex words for older children, along with letter T food, animal, and actions words, and more. 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 T sound.
Younger children will especially enjoy the letter T coloring sheet featuring images of the letter T and pictures of words that start with the letter T.
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 T, as a vocabulary list, or as a spelling list.
You’ll also find a definition for each letter T 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 T words, as well as a list of letter T activities to try and tips for teaching new letters and words to your child.
Lists of Letter T 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 T, 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 T Words
☐ tab: a small flap or loop used for opening or closing something. “She lifted the tab on the box to open its lid.”
☐ tad: a small amount. “He added just a tad of salt to the soup.”
☐ tag: a label attached to something. “The price tag was still on the shirt.”
☐ tan: to make skin darker by exposure to the sun. “Even though she wore sunscreen, she got a tan after a week at the beach.”
☐ tap: to strike lightly. “You have to tap the screen to turn it on.”
☐ tar: a thick, black liquid used in road construction. “The workers spread tar on the road.”
☐ ten: the number after nine. “He has ten fingers.”
☐ tip: the end point of something. “She put a cap on the tip of the pen.”
☐ top: the highest part of something. “She reached the top of the mountain.”
☐ tub: a large container for holding liquid or other substances. “She filled the tub with water for the dogs.”
☐ tug: to pull something sharply. “He gave the rope a strong tug to pull the gate closed.”
Simple Preschool Letter T Words
☐ tail: the part of an animal that extends from its back end. “The dog wagged its tail happily.”
☐ take: to get into one’s possession. “She will take the book home.”
☐ talk: to speak to or with someone. “I like to talk to my friends at school.”
☐ team: a group of people working together. “They are on the same soccer team.”
☐ than: used when comparing things. “She is taller than her brother.”
☐ that: used to identify a specific person or thing. “That book is funny.”
☐ the: used to refer to a specific item. “The cat sat on the mat.”
☐ their: belonging to them. “Their car is parked outside.”
☐ there: used to indicate a place or position. “She is standing over there.”
☐ they: used to refer to two or more people or things. “They are my friends.”
☐ this: used to identify a specific person or thing. “This is my favorite song.”
☐ three: the number after two. “He has three cookies to share with them.”
☐ to: used to indicate purpose, direction, or belonging. “She went to the store.”
☐ too: used to indicate excess or in place of the word ‘also.’ “It’s too hot outside.” / “I want to go, too.”
☐ two: the number after one. “She has two cats.”
Kindergarten Letter T Words
☐ table: a piece of furniture with a flat top and one or more legs. “They ate dinner at the table.”
☐ tale: a story. “She told a tale about a brave knight.”
☐ tall: more than average height. “The basketball player is very tall.”
☐ tame: not wild; domesticated. “The horse is tame and friendly.”
☐ task: a piece of work to be done. “Her task is to clean her room.”
☐ taste: the flavor of something. “She likes the taste of chocolate.”
☐ taxi: a car that you pay to take you somewhere. “They took a taxi to the hotel.”
☐ tear: to pull apart or into pieces. “Tear the paper into small pieces for the art project.”
☐ tell: to give information by speaking. “He will tell you where to put your lunch box.”
☐ test: a way to measure knowledge or ability. “She studied for the math test.”
☐ their: belonging to them. “Their car is parked outside.”
☐ they’re: contraction of “they are.” “They’re going to the movies tonight.”
☐ thing: a word used in place of an object’s name. “Please hand me that thing on the table.”
☐ time: the measurement of how long something takes to happen; a way to determine what period of the day it is. “She checked the time on her watch.”
☐ toy: an object for children to play with. “She received a new toy for her birthday.”
Elementary Letter T Words
☐ talent: a natural ability to do something well. “She has a talent for painting.”
☐ talkative: someone who likes talking. “He is very talkative in class.”
☐ teacher: a person who helps students learn. “Her teacher is very kind.”
☐ technique: a way of doing something. “He learned a new technique for drawing clouds.”
☐ telephone: a device for talking to someone who is not with you. “She called her friend on the telephone.”
☐ telescope: an instrument used to see objects in space. “They looked at the stars through the telescope.”
☐ temperature: a measure of how hot or cold something is. “The temperature outside is very warm today.”
☐ theory: a system of ideas explaining something. “They discussed the theory of why the sky is blue.”
☐ thick: having a large amount between opposite sides. “The book is very thick.”
☐ thin: having a small amount between opposite sides. “She likes thin slices of bread.”
☐ ticket: a piece of paper that allows entry somewhere. “She bought a ticket for the concert.”
☐ tiny: very small. “The baby’s shoes are tiny.”
☐ title: the name of a book, movie, or other work. “The title of the book is Goodnight Moon.”
Letter T Food Words
☐ taco: a Mexican dish with a folded tortilla filled with various seasoned ingredients. “She ate a chicken taco for lunch.”
☐ taffy: a chewy candy with different flavors. “They bought some taffy at the candy store.”
☐ tapioca: a starch extracted from cassava, often used in puddings. “She likes tapioca pudding.”
☐ tart: a small pie with a fruit filling. “She baked an apple tart.”
☐ tea: a hot drink made by soaking dried leaves in boiling water. “She enjoys a cup of tea in the morning.”
☐ toast: bread that turns crispy and brown by exposing it to heat. “He had toast with peanut butter for breakfast.”
☐ tofu: a soft food made from soybeans. “She added slices of tofu to the stir-fry.”
☐ tomato: a red fruit often used in salads and cooking. “She sliced a tomato for the salad.”
☐ torte: a rich cake, often layered and filled with custard or fruit. “The chocolate torte was delicious.”
☐ turkey: a large bird with dark feathers on its body but not on its head. “The large turkey flew into the tree to sleep.”
☐ turnip: a large white root vegetable. “She added turnips to the stew.”
☐ tangerine: a small, sweet citrus fruit. “She peeled a tangerine for a snack.”
☐ tamale: a Mexican dish made of masa dough wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. “They enjoyed homemade tamales.”
Letter T Animal Words
☐ tadpole: a young frog or toad that lives in water. “The pond was full of tadpoles.”
☐ tarantula: a large, hairy spider. “He saw a tarantula in the desert.”
☐ termite: an insect that eats wood. “The old house had a problem with termites.”
☐ tiger: a large wild cat with a striped coat. “The tiger prowled through the jungle.”
☐ toad: a type of amphibian similar to a frog but with dry, bumpy skin. “Toads spend less time in water than frogs.”
☐ tortoise: a land-dwelling reptile with a hard shell. “The tortoise moved slowly.”
☐ toucan: a bird with a large, colorful beak. “The toucan perched on a branch.”
☐ trout: a type of freshwater fish. “They caught a trout in the river.”
☐ turtle: a reptile with a hard shell that lives in water or on land. “The turtle swam in the pond.”
☐ tapir: a large, herbivorous mammal with a short snout. “The tapir grazed by the riverbank.”
☐ thrush: a songbird with a spotted chest. “The thrush sang beautifully from the tree.”
☐ tuna: a type of large, fast-swimming fish. “They saw a tuna swimming in the ocean.”
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Letter T Object Words
☐ tablet: a small, flat computer. “He uses his tablet to learn with ABCmouse.com.”
☐ tack: a small, sharp nail. “She used a tack to hang the poster.”
☐ tape: a long, narrow strip of material used for sticking things together. “He used tape to wrap the gift.”
☐ tarp: a large sheet of waterproof material. “They used a tarp to cover the woodpile.”
☐ tent: a portable shelter made of cloth. “They slept in a tent while camping.”
☐ thermometer: an instrument for measuring temperature. “The thermometer showed that it was very cold outside.”
☐ tire: a rubber covering around a wheel. “He needed four new tires for his car.”
☐ towel: a piece of cloth used for drying. “She used a towel to dry her hands.”
☐ trophy: an award for winning a competition. “The team won a trophy in the soccer tournament.”
☐ tusk: a long, pointed tooth found on animals like elephants. “The elephant’s tusk was very large.”
Letter T Places Words
☐ terminal: a place where passengers board or leave planes, trains, or buses. “They waited in the terminal for their flight.”
☐ territory: an area of land under the jurisdiction of a ruler or state. “The northern territory was explored by early settlers.”
☐ theater: a place where movies or plays are shown. “They went to the theater to see a play.”
☐ tower: a tall, narrow building or structure. “They climbed to the top of the tower.”
☐ town: a populated area smaller than a city. “They live in a small town.”
☐ town hall: a building used for local government activities. “The meeting was held at the town hall.”
☐ trail: a path through a countryside or forest. “They hiked along the trail.”
☐ tunnel: an underground or underwater passage. “They drove through the tunnel.”
Letter T Nature and Environment Words
☐ talon: a claw typically found on a bird of prey. “The eagle’s talon grasped the branch tightly.”
☐ terrain: the physical features of an area of land. “The rocky terrain made hiking difficult.”
☐ thicket: a dense group of bushes or trees. “They had to cut through the thicket of trees to reach the clearing.”
☐ thorn: a sharp projection on a plant. “The rose bush has many thorns.”
☐ tide: the regular rise and fall of the sea. “They watched the tide come in.”
☐ timber: wood prepared for building. “The house was built using large pieces of timber.”
☐ trail: a path through a forest or countryside. “They followed the trail through the woods.”
☐ tree: a tall plant with a trunk and branches. “The tree in their yard is very old.”
☐ tributary: a river or stream flowing into a larger river or lake. “The tributary feeds into the main river.”
☐ tornado: a large rotating column of air extending from a storm cloud to the ground. “A tornado suddenly appeared in the sky.”
☐ tundra: a treeless plain found in Arctic regions. “The tundra is covered in snow most of the year.”
☐ twilight: the time of day immediately following sunset. “They enjoyed the peacefulness of twilight.”
☐ typhoon: a tropical storm in the region of the western Pacific oceans. “The typhoon caused widespread damage.”
Letter T Emotions and Traits
☐ tactful: showing sensitivity in dealing with others. “She was tactful when she politely asked her friend to stop talking during class.”
☐ tenacious: persistent and determined. “Her tenacious spirit helped her achieve her goals.”
☐ tender: showing gentleness and concern. “She gave her little sister a tender hug when she got hurt.”
☐ thankful: feeling gratitude. “She was thankful for her friend’s support.”
☐ thoughtful: thinking of others’ feelings. “He was thoughtful and often shared snacks when others forgot theirs.”
☐ timid: showing a lack of courage or confidence. “The kitten was timid and hid under the bed.”
☐ tolerant: willing to accept others. “He was tolerant and patiently listened to everyone’s different ideas.”
☐ tranquil: free from disturbance; calm. “The lake was tranquil at dawn.”
☐ triumphant: having won a battle or contest. “They felt triumphant after winning their game.”
☐ trustworthy: able to be relied on as honest or truthful. “She is a trustworthy person.”
Letter T Action Words
☐ tackle: to confront or take on a challenge. “He decided to tackle the difficult project.”
☐ teach: to give instruction. “She likes to teach math.”
☐ tidy: to make neat and put in order. “She decided to tidy her room before guests arrived.”
☐ think: to have an idea or opinion. “She needs to think about the problem.”
☐ throw: to propel something with force through the air. “She can throw the ball very far.”
☐ trade: to exchange one thing for another. “They decided to trade their toys.”
☐ translate: to express the meaning of words in another language. “She can translate the book from English to Spanish.”
☐ trap: to catch or confine something. “He set a trap to catch the mouse.”
☐ travel: to go from one place to another. “They like to travel to new places.”
☐ try: to attempt to do something. “He will try to finish his homework.”
☐ type: to write using a keyboard. “He can type very fast.”
Free Printable Letter T Words Lists
Simply download and print our PDFs of the letter T word lists to review with your children. One list includes all of our letter T words and the other lists features our letter T words along with their definitions and the words used in a simple sentence.
Letter T Words with Pictures
Preschoolers and kindergarteners will appreciate having illustrations to look at while learning new letter T words. As you read the words aloud to them, draw their attention to the letter T sound as you pronounce the word. Point at the corresponding picture as you say the letter T word. You can choose from our printable letter T words with pictures to color or letter T words with illustrations.
Letter T Activities
Letter T Song:
Learning about the letter T is especially fun when it’s a song kids can listen, dance, and sing to.
Letter T Worksheets:
These free printable letter T worksheets can help children learn to recognize the letter T, say its name and the sound it makes, and start learning how to write it, too.
Tips for Teaching Letter T 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.
- Use Letter Sound Correspondence
Letter sound correspondence refers to the idea that each letter of the alphabet refers to a certain sound or sounds. As you work on a new letter, make sure your child can see the letter as you discuss its sound(s). Practice new letters and letter sounds for several days and review them frequently.
- Keep Learning Fun
As your child works their way through learning all the letter of the alphabet and their sounds, keep in mind their brains are working hard at this task. The more fun you can bring to the experience, the more enjoyable it will be for you and your child.
Additional Resources
ABCmouse has educational resources for children aged 2-8, as well as resources to help parents and teachers.
Color by Letter Worksheets
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Letter Sound Activities for Children
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Expert Tips for Teaching Letter Sounds
The ABCmouse early education experts share ideas on teaching letter sounds to prepare children for learning to read.
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