What Is Phonological Awareness?

Phonological awareness is the ability to notice, think about, and work with the sounds that make up spoken words.

This might look like:

• Picking out rhyming words (“cat, hat, bat”)

• Clapping out the syllables in a word (e.g., “spi-der” has two syllables)

• Noticing when words start with the same sound (“big, blue, balloon”)

• Tuning in to the individual sounds in words like hearing that “dog” is made up of /d/ /o/ /g/

That last skill is called phonemic awareness, and it's one of the most important building blocks for learning to read.

Why Is It So Important?

Phonological awareness helps children understand that spoken words are made up of smaller sound parts. This awareness is what allows them to eventually:

• Break words down into sounds

• Match those sounds to letters

• Blend sounds to form words

• Begin decoding (sounding out) unfamiliar words

Without strong phonological awareness, reading and spelling can become a real challenge. In fact, ongoing difficulties with these skills are often one of the earliest signs of dyslexia.

What Does It Look Like In Real Life?

Most children begin developing phonological awareness naturally especially when they’re immersed in rich language environments with rhymes, songs, stories, and word play.

You might notice your child:

• Enjoying silly rhymes

• Repeating catchy phrases with alliteration (“busy buzzing bees”)

• Making up their own rhyming or nonsense words

• Clapping or stomping out word parts during songs

But for some kids, this awareness doesn’t come as easily. They may need more explicit and playful support to build these foundational skills.

How Can You Support It

There are so many simple and joyful ways to build phonological awareness at home without turning it into a chore:

• Read books with rhyme and rhythm (think Mem Fox or Dr. Seuss)

• Sing songs and nursery rhymes that play with sounds

• Go on sound hunts (“Can we find three things that start with /s/?”)

• Play games like ‘I Spy’ using sound clues (“I spy something that starts with /t/”)

• Clap out syllables during everyday routines (“Tooth-brush-ing!”)

And if you're ever unsure whether your child is developing these skills in line with their age trust your instincts. A speech pathologist can help assess and support early sound awareness in a way that’s strengths-based, gentle, and fun.