How many words have /k/ in the initial position?

Our dictionary lists 805 initial /k/ words suitable for speech therapy practice.

What are some example initial /k/ words?

Examples include cab, cache, cached, cad, cage, cake, cakes, call.

Why are cat and queen on the K list?

Because both begin with the /k/ sound. English spells it c, k, q, or ck depending on the word, and matching by pronunciation catches every spelling.

My student says tat for cat. What is that called?

Velar fronting — a velar sound is replaced by an alveolar one made further forward. It is typical in young children and is usually gone by about 3;6.

Initial K Words for Speech Therapy

Words that begin with /k/ — cat, kite, queen, cookie, car. Matched by pronunciation rather than spelling, so the c, k, and qu spellings all appear here together as the single sound they represent.

Word list

1-syllable

cab
cache
cached
cad
cage
cake
cakes
call
called
calls
calm
cam
came
camp
camps
cams
can
cant
cap
cape
caps
car
carb
card
cards
care
carl
cars
cart
case
cash
cast
cat
catch
cats
caught
cause
caused
cave
chi
chrome
claim
claimed
claims
clan
class
clause
clay
clean
clear
cleared
clerk
click
clicks
cliff
climb
clip
clips
clock
clocks
clone
close
closed
cloth
clothes
cloud
clouds
club
clubs
coach
coal
coast
coat
cod
code
codes
coin
coins
cold
cole
come
comes
comm
comp
con
cons
cook
cooked
cool
cop
cope
cord
core
cork
corn
corps
cos
cost
costs
could
count
counts
course
court
courts
cove
cow
crack
craft
crafts
craig
crash
cream
creek
crest
crew
crime
crimes
crop
crops
cross
crowd
crown
crude
cruise
cry
cube
cult
cup
cups
cure
curve
curves
cut
cute
cuts
kai
kay
keen
keep
keeps
ken
kent
kept
key
keys
kick
kid
kids
kind
kinds
king
kings
kirk
kiss
kit
kits
kyle
quad
queen
queens
quest
queue
quick
quilt
quit
quite
quiz
quote
quotes

2-syllable

cabin
cable
cables
cafe
calling
camel
campaign
campaigns
camping
campus
canal
cancel
cancelled
cancer
candle
candles
candy
cannon
canon
canvas
canyon
captain
capture
captured
carbon
career
careers
careful
cargo
caring
carmen
carol
carpet
carried
carries
carry
carter
cartoon
cartoons
cartridge
casa
cases
cashiers
cassette
casting
castle
catholic
cattle
causes
causing
caution
cayman
chaos
choir
chorus
christian
christians
chronic
classes
classic
classics
classroom
cleaner
cleaners
cleaning
cleanup
clearance
clearing
clearly
clicking
client
clients
climate
climbing
clinic
clinics
closely
closer
closes
closest
closing
closure
clothing
cloudy
cluster
clusters
coaches
coaching
coastal
coated
coating
cocktail
coding
coffee
cohen
colin
collapse
collar
colleague
colleagues
collect
college
collins
cologne
colon
color
colored
colors
colour
colours
column
columns
combat
combine
combined
combines
combo
comfort
comic
comics
coming
command
commands
comment
comments
commerce
commit
common
commons
compact

Words without competing sounds

cab
cache
cad
cage
cake
cakes
call
called
calls
calm
cam
came
camp
camps
cams
can
cap
cape
caps
car
carb
card
cards
care
carl
cars
case
cash
catch
cause
caused
cave
chi
chrome
claim
claimed
claims
clan
class
clause
clay
clean
clear
cleared
clerk
click
clicks
cliff
climb
clip
clips
clock
clocks
clone
close
closed
cloth
clothes
cloud
clouds
club
clubs
coach
coal
cod
code
codes
coin
coins
cold
cole
come
comes
comm
comp
con
cons
cook
cool
cop
cope
cord
core
cork
corn
corps
cos
could
course
cove
cow
crack
crash
cream
creek
crew
crime
crimes
crop
crops
cross
crowd
crown
crude
cruise
cry
cube
cup
cups
cure
curve
curves
kai
kay
keen
keep
keeps
ken
key
keys
kick
kid
kids
kind
kinds
king
kings
kirk
kiss
kyle
quad
queen
queens
queue
quick
quiz
cabin
cable
cables
cafe
calling
camel
campaign
campaigns
camping
campus
canal
cancel
cancelled
cancer
candle
candles
candy
cannon
canon
canvas
canyon
capture
captured
carbon
career
careers
careful
caring
carmen
carol
carried
carries
carry
casa
cases
cashiers
castle
catholic
causes
causing
caution
cayman
chaos
choir
chorus
christian
christians
chronic
classes
classic
classics
classroom
cleaner
cleaners
cleaning
cleanup
clearance
clearing
clearly
clicking
climbing
clinic
clinics
closely
closer
closes
closing
closure
clothing
cloudy
coaches
coaching
coding
coffee
cohen
colin
collapse
collar
college
collins
cologne
colon
color
colored
colors
colour
colours
column
columns
combine
combined
combines
combo
comic
comics
coming
command
commands
commerce
common
commons

Related lists

Other K positions

Medial K words1282 words Final K words258 words

Other sounds in the initial position

Initial R words Initial S words Initial L words Initial TH words Initial SH words Initial CH words Initial J words Initial G words Initial F words Initial V words

All K word lists

Worksheet preview

Articulation practice

Target /k/ · Initial

/k/

01cab

02cache

03cached

04cad

05cage

06cake

07cakes

08call

verified/k/: 805 words · competing-free 472

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About Initial K words

/k/ is a velar, made with the back of the tongue against the soft palate, and 90% of children produce it by 3;11 (Crowe & McLeod, 2020). The dominant error is velar fronting: the tongue tip takes over and cat becomes tat, key becomes tea.

Fronting is a phonological pattern rather than a single-sound problem — a child who fronts /k/ almost always fronts /g/ too, and treating the pattern usually addresses both. It is one of the most common patterns on a preschool caseload and typically resolves by around age three and a half.

Practising Initial K

Word-initial /k/ is the hardest position for a child who fronts, because nothing precedes the sound to pull the tongue back. Many clinicians establish /k/ at the end of words first, then bring it forward once the back contact is reliable.

Acquisition ages: Crowe & McLeod (2020), American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology. Educational content — an SLP chooses the target for a specific child.

Frequently asked questions

How many words have /k/ in the initial position?: Our dictionary lists 805 initial /k/ words suitable for speech therapy practice.
What are some example initial /k/ words?: Examples include cab, cache, cached, cad, cage, cake, cakes, call.
Why are cat and queen on the K list?: Because both begin with the /k/ sound. English spells it c, k, q, or ck depending on the word, and matching by pronunciation catches every spelling.
My student says tat for cat. What is that called?: Velar fronting — a velar sound is replaced by an alveolar one made further forward. It is typical in young children and is usually gone by about 3;6.

When do kids master each sound?

Free interactive checker: pick a sound and an age, see the research norm — all 24 consonants, sourced from Crowe & McLeod (2020).

Open the checker →