Words That Start With the Letter W for Kids
Check out our list of letter W words, letter W activities, and tips for teaching the letter W sound and words to your child.
Grow your child’s vocabulary while helping them learn the letter W sound with these letter W 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 W 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 W sound.
Younger children will especially enjoy the letter W coloring sheet featuring images of the letter W and pictures of words that start with the letter W.
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 W, as a vocabulary list, or as a spelling list.
You’ll also find a definition for each letter W 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 W words, as well as a list of letter W activities to try and tips for teaching new letters and words to your child.
Lists of Letter W 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 W, 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 W Words
☐ wag: to move something from side to side. “The dog will wag its tail when it’s excited.”
☐ wax: a sticky substance used to make candles or polish. “The candle is made of wax and will melt when you light it.”
☐ web: a network of fine threads constructed by a spider. “The spider spun a web in the corner.”
☐ wed: to marry someone. “They decided to wed in the spring.”
☐ wet: covered or soaked with water. “Her clothes were wet from the rain.”
☐ win: to succeed in a contest or competition. “She hopes to win the race.”
☐ wit: mental sharpness and cleverness. “The clever fox used his wit to solve the tricky puzzle.”
☐ wow: an exclamation of surprise or admiration. “Wow, that’s amazing!”
Simple Preschool Letter W Words
☐ wall: a vertical structure that divides or encloses a room. “He painted the walls of the bathroom blue.”
☐ wand: a thin, stick-like object used in magic. “The magician waved his wand and the rabbit disappeared.”
☐ wash: to clean something with water and soap. “She will wash her hands before eating.”
☐ wave: a movement of the hand to greet or signal someone. “He gave a friendly wave to his friend.”
☐ week: a period of seven days. “We will meet next week.”
☐ what: asking for information about something. “What is your name?”
☐ when: asking about time. “When will you arrive?”
☐ where: asking about place or position. “Where do you live?”
☐ which: asking about a choice between options. “Which color do you like?”
☐ who: asking about a person. “Who is your teacher?”
☐ why: asking for reason or purpose. “Why are you late?”
☐ wing: a part of a bird used for flying. “The bird spread its wings.”
☐ wish: to hope for something to happen. “She made a wish and blew out the candles on her birthday cake.”
☐ woman: an adult female human. “The woman smiled at her friends.”
☐ work: an activity involving mental or physical effort. “My mom goes to work every day.”
Kindergarten Letter W Words
☐ water: a clear liquid that forms the seas, lakes, rivers, and rain and is used for drinking, watching, and more. “He drank a glass of water.”
☐ way: a method of doing something. “She has a unique way of painting.”
☐ weight: the heaviness of something. “The weight of the box made it heavy to lift.”
☐ well: in a good or satisfactory way. “He performed well on the test.”
☐ while: during the time that. “She read a book while waiting.”
☐ whole: all of something. “He ate the whole carrot.”
☐ wide: having a large area from side to side. “The river is very wide here.”
☐ will: expressing future tense or intention. “He will go to the store tomorrow.”
☐ with: accompanied by. “She went to the party with her friends.”
☐ woo: to seek the affection or love of someone. “He tried to woo her with flowers.”
☐ worth: the value of something. “The painting is worth a lot of money.”
☐ would: indicating willingness or possibility. “She would help if she could.”
☐ wreck: to destroy or damage something. “The storm wrecked the ship.”
☐ was: past tense of “is” or “am.” “He was at the park yesterday.”
Elementary Letter W Words
☐ wage: a fixed regular payment earned for work. “He receives his wage at the end of the month.”
☐ wake: to stop sleeping. “She will wake up early tomorrow.”
☐ watch: to look at and observe. “They like to watch movies together.”
☐ wealth: an abundance of valuable possessions or money. “The king had great wealth, with lots of gold and jewels in his castle.”
☐ welcome: to greet someone in a friendly way. “They gave him a warm welcome when he arrived.”
☐ whisper: to speak very softly. “She whispered quietly to her friend during the performance.”
☐ white: lack of pigmentation; the color of milk or fresh snow. “She wore a white dress.”
☐ whose: belonging to or associated with which person. “Whose book is this?”
☐ wild: living or growing in the natural environment. “They saw wild animals while camping in the mountains.”
☐ witness: a person who sees an event take place. “The witness testified in court.”
☐ wonder: a feeling of amazement and admiration. “The beautiful view of the ocean filled them with wonder.”
☐ wonderful: causing delight, pleasure, or admiration. “They had a wonderful time on vacation.”
☐ word: a combination of letters that have an understood meaning when spoken or written. “She learned a new word when reading her book.”
☐ world: the earth and all its inhabitants. “They want to travel around the world.”
☐ wound: an injury. “She put a bandage on her knee to cover the small wound.”
☐ warn: to inform someone in advance of a possible danger. “He tried to warn them about the storm.”
Letter W Food Words
☐ waffles: a sweet breakfast cake with a pattern of small squares. “He had waffles with strawberries for breakfast.”
☐ walnut: an edible seed of a tree. “She added walnuts to the salad.”
☐ wasabi: a green paste used as a condiment in Japanese cuisine with a spicy, mustard-like taste. “She mixed wasabi with soy sauce for the sushi.”
☐ watercress: a leafy green plant often used in salads. “The watercress added a peppery flavor.”
☐ watermelon: a large fruit with a hard, green rind and sweet, juicy flesh. “They ate watermelon at the picnic.”
☐ wheat: a cereal plant used to make flour. “They grow wheat on the farm.”
☐ whey: the watery part of milk that remains after curds form. “She used whey in the smoothie.”
☐ wonton: a Chinese dumpling. “They ordered wonton soup at the restaurant.”
Letter W Animal Words
☐ wallaby: a small or medium-sized kangaroo. “They saw a wallaby at the zoo.”
☐ walrus: a large marine mammal with tusks. “The walrus rested on the ice.”
☐ warthog: a wild pig with large tusks. “The warthog roamed the savannah.”
☐ wasp: a stinging insect. “A wasp buzzed around the picnic.”
☐ weasel: a small carnivorous mammal. “The weasel darted into the bushes.”
☐ whale: a large marine mammal. “They saw a whale during the boat trip.”
☐ whippet: a breed of dog known for its speed. “The whippet ran across the field.”
☐ whitefish: a freshwater fish. “They caught a whitefish in the lake.”
☐ wildebeest: a large antelope with a long tail. “The wildebeest migrated across the plains.”
☐ wolverine: a powerful carnivorous mammal. “The wolverine is known for its strength.”
☐ wombat: a burrowing herbivorous marsupial. “The wombat dug a hole in the ground.”
☐ woodpecker: a bird that pecks at wood to find insects. “The woodpecker made a hole in the tree.”
☐ worm: a long, slender invertebrate. “The bird ate a worm from the ground.”
☐ wrasse: a type of fish found in coral reefs. “The wrasse swam among the corals.”
☐ wren: a small songbird. “The wren built a nest in the bush.”
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Letter W Object Words
☐ wagon: a vehicle used for transporting goods or people. “They rode in a horse-drawn wagon.”
☐ wallet: a small case for carrying money and personal items. “He kept his money in a wallet.”
☐ wand: a thin, stick-like object used in magic. “The magician waved his wand.”
☐ warrant: a document allowing the police to make an arrest or search a location. “The police obtained a warrant to search the house.”
☐ watch: a small timepiece worn on the wrist. “She checked the time on her watch.”
☐ wedge: a piece of wood, metal, etc., with one thick end and tapering to a thin edge. “He used a wedge to split the log.”
☐ wheel: a circular object that helps other objects move. “The car has four wheels.”
☐ whisk: to beat or stir with a light, rapid movement. “She used a whisk to beat the eggs.”
☐ whistle: a high-pitched sound made by blowing air into an object or with the mouth. “He blew a whistle to get their attention.”
☐ windmill: a structure that converts wind into energy. “The windmill generates electricity for the town.”
☐ window: an opening in a wall or door that usually contains a glass pane. “She looked out the window.”
☐ wire: a thin, flexible strand of metal. “The electrician used a wire to connect the light to the power source.”
☐ wool: the soft curly or wavy hair forming the coat of a sheep. “She knitted a sweater from wool.”
☐ wrench: a tool used for gripping and turning objects. “He used a wrench to fix the pipe.”
Letter W Places Words
☐ warehouse: a large building for storing goods. “The toys are stored in a big warehouse before they are sent to stores.”
☐ waterpark: an amusement park with water play areas and water slides. “They spent the day at the waterpark.”
☐ west: the direction where the sun sets. “They traveled west towards the mountains.”
☐ wharf: a platform where ships load and unload cargo. “The ship docked at the wharf.”
☐ workshop: a room or building where tools and machinery are used for making or repairing things. “She fixed the table in her workshop.”
☐ workplace: a location where people work. “The workplace was busy with employees working to earn their wage.”
Letter W Nature and Environment Words
☐ waterfall: a place where water flows over a vertical drop. “They visited a beautiful waterfall.”
☐ waterway: a river, canal, or other route for travel by water. “The boat navigated the waterway to reach the wharf.”
☐ warm: having a moderate temperature. “The sun feels warm today but isn’t too hot.”
☐ wave: water that curls into an arched form and breaks on the shore. “They watched the waves crash on the beach.”
☐ weather: the state of the air and atmosphere at a place and time. “The weather is sunny and warm today.”
☐ wetland: land consisting of marshes or swamps. “The wetland is home to many species of birds.”
☐ wilderness: an area of land that has not been changed by human activity. “They went camping in the wilderness.”
☐ wildlife: animals that live and grow in natural conditions. “They went on a safari to see the wildlife.”
☐ wilt: to become limp through heat, loss of water, or disease. “The flowers will wilt without water.”
☐ wind: the natural movement of air. “The wind blew through the trees.”
☐ winter: the coldest season of the year. “They love to go skiing in the snow in the winter.”
☐ wood: the hard material that trees are made of. “The table is made of wood.”
☐ woodland: land covered with trees. “They hiked through the woodland.”
Letter W Emotions and Traits
☐ wary: feeling or showing caution about possible dangers. “She was wary of heights and didn’t wander up to the waterfall.”
☐ weak: lacking physical strength. “He felt weak after the long run.”
☐ well-behaved: conducting oneself in an appropriate manner. “The children were well-behaved.”
☐ weary: feeling or showing tiredness. “After the long journey, they were weary.”
☐ willing: ready, eager, or prepared to do something. “He was willing to help with the project.”
☐ wistful: feeling sadness when you hope to have something but can’t or want something you once had. “He felt wistful when they drove by his old house.”
☐ witty: having quick and clever humor. “She was known for her witty remarks that made people laugh.”
☐ wise: having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment. “The old man had learned a lot during his life and was very wise.”
☐ worried: anxious or troubled about problems. “She was worried about the exam.”
☐ worthwhile: worth the time, money, or effort spent. “The trip was definitely worthwhile.”
☐ wondrous: feeling wonder or delight. “The view from the top of the mountain was wondrous.”
Letter W Action Words
☐ wait: to remain in one place until a particular time or event. “They had to wait for the bus.”
☐ walk: to move at a regular pace by lifting and setting down each foot in turn. “They like to walk in the park.”
☐ wander: to move in a leisurely, casual, or aimless way. “They wandered through the city streets.”
☐ want: a desire to have or do something. “She wants to travel the world.”
☐ wear: to put clothing, jewelry, etc. on one’s body. “She will wear a bracelet to dinner.”
☐ weave: to form a piece of fabric by interlacing long threads. “He learned to weave baskets.”
☐ weigh: to find out how heavy something is. “She will weigh the ingredients before baking with them.”
☐ whittle: to carve or shape wood by cutting small slices from it. “He likes to whittle sticks into small figures.”
☐ wipe: to clean or dry by rubbing with a cloth or sponge. “Please wipe the table clean after eating on it.”
☐ wrap: to cover or enclose something. “She plans to wrap the gift before the party.”
☐ write: to mark letters, words, or other symbols on a surface. “She loves to write stories.”
Free Printable Letter W Words Lists
Simply download and print our PDFs of the letter W word lists to review with your children. One list includes all of our letter W words and the other lists features our letter W words along with their definitions and the words used in a simple sentence.
Letter W Words with Pictures
Preschoolers and kindergarteners will appreciate having illustrations to look at while learning new letter W words. As you read the words aloud to them, draw their attention to the letter W sound as you pronounce the word. Point at the corresponding picture as you say the letter W word. You can choose from our printable letter W words with pictures to color or letter W words with illustrations.
Letter W Activities
Letter W Song:
Learning about the letter W is especially fun when it’s a song kids can listen, dance, and sing to.
Letter W Worksheets:
These free printable letter W worksheets can help children learn to recognize the letter W, say its name and the sound it makes, and start learning how to write it, too.
Tips for Teaching Letter W Words
- Make Wind
When helping your child position their mouth to make the letter W sound, tell them to pucker their lips and push them out slightly, as if they were blowing bubbles or making wind with their mouths.
- 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 Working on It
As your child learns the letter W sound, keep practicing it with them until they can confidently produce the sound. Take breaks if they feel frustrated, but avoid moving on to other letter sounds until each sound is mastered.
Additional Resources
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