Letter P: Sounds, Words and How to Write It
P is the 16th letter of the English alphabet. It comes after O and before Q. P is a consonant. The capital (uppercase) letter is P and the small (lowercase) letter is p.
How to write it · Sounds · Words · Printable sheet · Quiz · FAQ
Last updated: October 2026
Letter P at a Glance
| Position | 16th of 26 letters |
|---|---|
| Type | Consonant |
| Uppercase and lowercase | P p |
| Comes between | O and Q |
| Main sounds | p, ph |
| Strokes to write it | Capital P: 2 · small p: 1 |
How to Write Capital P and Small p
Follow the numbers: start each stroke at its numbered dot and move in the direction of the arrow. The blue top line, dashed middle line and red bottom line match the lines on handwriting paper.
Capital P (2 strokes)
- Start at the top. Draw a straight line down.
- Go back to the top. Draw a curve out to the right and back in to the middle of the line.
Small p (1 stroke)
- Start at the middle line. Draw a straight line down, going below the bottom line.
- Go back up to the middle line.
- Curve around to the right and close the circle at the bottom line.
Small p has a tail: its body sits between the middle line and the bottom line, and its tail drops below the bottom line, like g, p and y.
Common mix-up: Lowercase p, q, b and d are all made of a circle and a line, so they are easy to confuse. p has its line on the left, going below the line.
Practice by tracing in the letter tracing game, then on paper with the Alphabet Tracing and Lowercase Letter Tracing worksheets.
Free Printable Letter P Tracing Sheet
Print this one-page sheet for practice at home or in class. Each row starts with a solid model letter, followed by dotted letters to trace, then empty lines to write P and p alone.
What Sound Does P Make?
- p: made by pressing your lips together and popping them open with a puff of air, no voice. Examples: pig, pen, pan, cup.
- ph: p and h together usually make an f sound. Examples: phone, photo, elephant.
Practice the sound with pictures on P is for Pen, which shows how to make the sound with your mouth, or match sounds on the Letter Sounds worksheet.
Words That Start With P
P is for Pig! Here are more P words:
P also appears in the middle or at the end of words: cup, apple, map, hippo, top.
Interesting Facts About P
- P and B use the same mouth shape. Hold a tissue in front of your mouth: it flutters for P but much less for B.
- P and H together often say f, as in phone and elephant.
Quick Quiz: Letter P
Answer each question, then tap it to check.
Which letter comes right before P?
O.
Does the tail of lowercase p go above or below the line?
Below the line.
What sound does ph make in phone?
An f sound.
Activities for Parents and Teachers
In the Classroom
Make pretend pizzas using paper circles and cut-out toppings while chanting "P is for pizza!" Then take turns squawking like a parrot, calling out other P words the class can think of.
At Home
Hand your child a pencil and paper and let them draw or scribble while saying "P is for pencil." Afterward, trace the letter P together, pointing out its single curve at the top.
Tips
Parents: If your child mixes up P and B, point out that P has just one curve at the top, while B has two curves stacked on top of each other.
Teachers: P pairs naturally with a pretend cooking or art activity — pizza, painting, and pencils are all easy, engaging classroom props.
Frequently Asked Questions
What number letter is P in the alphabet?
P is the 16th letter of the 26-letter English alphabet. It comes after O and before Q.
Is P a vowel or a consonant?
P is a consonant. All letters except the vowels A, E, I, O and U are consonants (Y can be both).
What sound does the letter P make?
P makes these sounds: p as in pig; ph as in phone.
How do you write a small p?
Start at the middle line. Draw a straight line down, going below the bottom line. Go back up to the middle line. Curve around to the right and close the circle at the bottom line. Small p has a tail: its body sits between the middle line and the bottom line, and its tail drops below the bottom line, like g, p and y.
What are some words that start with P?
Words that start with P include pig, penguin, panda, pizza, pen, pear.
How can my child tell p and q apart?
Lowercase p starts with a straight line down on the left and then adds a circle on the right. Lowercase q starts with a circle and adds its line on the right.
Summary
P is the 16th letter of the alphabet and is a consonant. Its main sounds are p, ph. Capital P takes 2 strokes and small p takes 1. Next, learn the letter Q.