K Words for Kids
Below, you’ll find our list of K words for kids that can be adapted for vocabulary lessons. We’ve also provided some fun text ideas that you can use by copying and pasting into your lesson materials.
We feel cool in Kansas City, Missouri! In this series, our alphabet friends, A through Z, become tourists in America’s cities. At each of their stops, letters dig into their supplies in order to learn a new word study skill or vocabulary term.
K has packed its knapsack for Kansas City, Missouri! During K’s trip, K is excited to learn about different syllable features and patterns with the help of some wonderful word lists in K’s knapsack. K is looking forward to venturing around Kansas City, reviewing technology words that begin with “k”, and learning all about communication words, like emotions, that start with the letter “k”. Let’s journey to Kansas City for a day of Missouri fun!
Tip: Best educational practices related to word study include: read-alouds, discussion, and writing. It is important to build rich connections between readers and the vocabulary words they learn. For instance, discuss sample sentences and make other personal associations to bolster recall, decoding, and encoding. As always, remember that some words may require frontloading and framing depending on the learner’s age, background, and needs. Helpful reminders for readers: A vowel is a speech sound produced by letters a, e, i, o, u and sometimes y. A consonant is a speech sound produced by all of the other letters in the alphabet.
CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) Words: All aboard! K takes a ride on the KC Streetcar, a lively mode of transportation that takes tourists through the heart of downtown Kansas City. As it glides along the tracks, K gazes out the window, taking in the vibrant street art and buzzing city life. At the final stop, K decides to take a short rest before heading to its next adventure and looks through the first list of tiny, three-letter words: CVC words! These words and names consist of a consonant, followed by a vowel, followed by another consonant. Examples of CVC words include “cat,” “sit,” and “fun.” Below is a very short list of consonant-vowel-consonant words that begin with the letter “k.” Let’s see what K sees!
kid | kin | kit | Kim | Ken |
Closed Syllables: K’s feeling artsy and decides to visit the Kemper Museum. K loves the wide variety of art: sculptures, paintings, and more. K stops for a short rest in one of the exhibits and looks at the next list in its knapsack. This list is all about closed syllables. When a word has a closed vowel, the sound of the syllable is short because the syllable is closed off by one or more consonants. Examples of closed syllable words include “hat,” “pin,” and “dotted.” Let’s review these words with K.
keg | kink | knob | king | knick |
kept | kit | knot | kick | kinfolk |
kid | knap | knowledge | kibble | kindred |
kin | knit | known | knack |
Open Syllables: K finds its way to the prestigious Kauffman Center for musical treat. After taking a quick selfie in front of this unique building, K heads in for the show! Later on, after the performance, K relaxes and pulls out the next list from its knapsack. This list is all about open syllables. Open syllables have a vowel sound that is long and ends with a vowel. Because there is no consonant after the vowel in the syllable, the vowel is able to make the long sound, which sounds exactly like the name of the letter that makes the sound in that syllable. Examples of open syllable words include “no,” “me,” and “hi.” The “o” in “no” sounds just like how “o” is identified by name. The “i” in “hi” sounds just like how “i” is identified by name. Let’s review with J!
karate | Keno | kimono | koala | kookaburra |
karaoke | keeper | knee-deep | kosher | kaolin |
keenly | kerosene | knowing | kudos |
Silent Vowel Pairs (or Teams): Feeling the need to get a little crazy in Kansas City, K nearly runs to the Kaleidoscope children’s art studio. With walls adorned in whimsical masterpieces, K creates a kaleidoscope masterpiece. Cool! K cleans up its supplies and finds a quiet moment to review the next list of “k” words that contain silent vowel pairs. Shhh and let’s take a look! Silent vowel pairs have two vowels together: one of them stays silent. Examples of silent vowel pair words include “boat,” “rain,” and “suit.” Even though the vowels are a pair or team, the first vowel to appear in the pair makes the sound. Below is a list of words that begin with “k” that have a silent vowel pair.
keel | keen | keep | knead | kneel |
karaoke | keepsake | keenness | kneading | kneeling |
R-Controlled Vowels: After all of the Kaleidoscope fun, K smells something mighty yummy in the air: smoky, finger-licking barbecue. K can’t resist the temptation and orders a large plate of delicious ribs, savoring the mouthwatering flavors. With a satisfied tummy, K needs to take a short rest before venturing further in Kansas City. K pulls out the next list from its knapsack: r-controlled vowels!. This list is all about “R” and how it can be a bossy letter. R-controlled vowels happen when a vowel is controlled by the letter “r.” Examples of r-controlled vowels include “car,” “bird,” and “fern.” K reviews the list below:
keeper | kerchief | kernel | Kerplunk | kicker |
kept | kern | kerplop | Kurdish | kayaker |
karate | knocker | kerosene | kidder | kickstarter |
Final Stable Syllables: K hears some loud cheering and turns the corner to discover Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals. K squeezes down an aisle, popcorn and soda in hand, and watches an exhilarating baseball game. “K” is especially fond of the “K’s” on the outfield scoreboard, which is how teams indicate “strikes.” K enjoys the game and heads out of the stadium where it finds a nice place to sit for a moment. After K takes a picture of the stadium, it digs into its knapsack for the next list: final stable syllables. Final stable syllables are found in the final (last or lattermost) position of words. These syllables contain a consonant and one of the following vowel endings: -ble, -cle, -dle, -fle, -gle, -kle, -ple, -sle, -tle, -zle, -tion, -sion,-ture, -cian, -cious, and -tious. They are called “stable” because the pronunciation of each is reliable and predictable (always the same). Here’s the list that K reads!
keel | kindle | knittle | kettle | kernel |
kennel | knuckle | knowledgeable | kibble |
Silent K: The silent “K” in certain words is a result of where certain words come from. In the case of silent “K,” it often occurs before the letter “n” or “n” followed by a vowel. Take a look (quietly) at the following words with K!
knack | knee | Knicks | knock | know |
knapsack | kneel | knighthood | knoll | knowledge |
knave | knell | knit | knot | knuckle |
knead | knew | knob | knotty | knurled |
“K” in Animals: K excitedly bounds through the gates of the Kansas City Zoo, eager to meet its some animal friends. It especially likes the bouncy kangaroos and cuddly koalas. K stops for a bit of lemonade before continuing its journey and returns to its knapsack for the next word list. How appropriate: animals that begin with “k!”
koala | kitten | kingfisher | Komodo dragon | krill |
kangaroo | kudu | kodiak | kookaburra |
“K” in Technology: K’s thirst for knowledge takes it to the iconic Kansas City Public Library. K explores the vast collection of books, soaking up stories and facts from every page it flips. K comes across a few books on technology and writes down the following words and texting acronyms on a list and tucks them in its knapsack. Here’s what K collects!
keyboard | kinect | kiosk | kbps | “LMK” |
kindle | keypad | keyword | kilobyte | “IDK” |
“K” in Communication: It’s the end of the day, but Kansas City is still bustling with lively energy. Inside Union Station, K takes in the city’s rich heritage and enjoys a ride on a model train. While waiting for the train to depart, K looks at the final list about communication. Phew, that was fun, Kansas City! Here are nouns, adjectives, and verbs that readers and communicators should become familiar with:
keen | keypoint | kinship | knightly | kneading |
keenness | keystroke | kissing | knowledge | kinetic |
keen-sightedness | kindness | kittenish | knowledgeable | kindly |
keen-wittedness | kindheartedness | knavery | kookiness | kernel |
keeper | kindliness | kneadable | kudos | kindhearted |
knock | kindle | key | knack |