Leg. Lion. Lollipop. Ball. Bell. Doll. Say those six words slowly and you will notice the same easy, sliding sound at the start of three of them and at the end of the other three. That sound is /l/, one of the friendlier sounds for a beginner to learn.
This guide covers the phonics l sound in full: the fourth sound in Jolly Phonics Group 3 (g o u l f b), usually taught around age 4 to 5, right after /u/ and before /f/.
How to Make the /l/ Sound
/l/ is a voiced, continuous sound: the tongue tip presses gently behind the top front teeth while air flows out over the sides of the tongue, and the throat buzzes the whole time it is held. Pretend to lick a giant lollipop while saying “llll” for the Jolly Phonics action, and try a slow chant to go with it: “Llll-ollipop, llll-ollipop,” stretching the first sound each time.
Don’t Mix It Up: /l/ vs /r/ and /w/
It’s very common for young children to swap /l/ for /r/ or /w/ — “rion” or “wion” for lion, for example — since all three sounds are made with the tongue or lips doing something soft and rounded near the front of the mouth. The quick check is touch: for /l/, the tongue tip has to actually touch the ridge behind the top teeth. For /r/ it curls without touching, and for /w/ the lips round instead of the tongue moving at all. A little extra patience here is normal and usually resolves with age.
A Short /l/ Story
Danny and Julia’s uncle is a musician who visits every weekend, and this time he brought his violin along. “Can we touch it, Uncle Garry?” Julia asked, running her fingers gently over the smooth wood. When she pulled a string, it made a long, musical “llll” sound that rang through the whole room, and both children asked him to play it again and again.
Watch How /l/ Is Formed
Seeing the tongue tip touch behind the teeth on video makes the /l/ vs /r/ distinction from above much easier to copy at home.
Download the Free Jolly Phonics 42 Sounds Chart
Get all 42 Jolly Phonics letter sounds on one free printable chart PDF — in teaching order with an example word for every sound.
4 Quick /l/ Activities
- Sound hunt (2 minutes): find things around the living room that start with /l/ — lamp, lid, light switch.
- Touch test (2 minutes): practice lion, rion, wion out loud and check whether the tongue tip touches for the real word.
- Listen-and-mark game (3 minutes): use the picture below and mark true only when your child hears /l/ in a word you say.
- Flashcard blending (4 minutes): point to each of the three cards below in turn and blend them into a word together.
More Words With /l/
Beginning: leg, lip, log, lamp, lion, lock, lid, lap
Middle: yellow, balloon, pillow, jelly, silly, gallop
End: ball, bell, doll, hill, call, well, pool, wall
Blend it: l-e-g → leg, l-i-p → lip, l-o-g → log, l-i-d → lid
Watch out: walk, talk, chalk and half all have a silent l — you won’t hear /l/ in them at all.
The complete printable phase 2 flashcards cover every sound, if you want to keep building blends after this one.
Worksheet: Trace the Letter L
Print the animal-themed tracing page below, or work through the dedicated Letter L l Tracing Worksheets for more repetition.
Where /l/ Fits in the Sequence
/l/ is the fourth sound in Group 3, taught right after the /u/ sound and before the /f/ sound. See every sound in order in the Jolly Phonics complete guide.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my child say wion or yeyow instead of lion and yellow?
Swapping /l/ for /w/ or /r/ is a very common and usually temporary stage, since all three sounds are made with soft, rounded mouth movements near the front. Most children grow out of it with age and practice.
What age do children learn the phonics l sound?
Most children meet /l/ in Reception or kindergarten, around age 4 to 5, as the fourth sound in Jolly Phonics Group 3.
Are there any words where l is silent?
Yes — walk, talk, chalk and half all contain a silent l, so a child will not hear /l/ in them even though the letter is written.
What is a good first activity for teaching /l/?
The lollipop-licking action paired with a slow “llll” chant is usually the fastest way to get the tongue placement right before moving on to words.
I love how you broke down the /l/ sound! The activities you suggested are super engaging and make learning fun for the kids. Can’t wait to try them out with my little one!
I love how this blog post breaks down the letter L and the /l/ sound in such an engaging way! The activities are not only fun but also super effective for kids. Can’t wait to try them out with my little one! Thank you for sharing these great resources!