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Letter X — Preschool (Free Worksheets)
How to use this page
Work through the steps in order — watch, identify, hear the sound, colour, trace, write, then check. Most children finish in 10–15 minutes; some steps can be split across two days.
1 Watch
Watch — Letter X Sound & Shape
Start by watching a short video together. Seeing and hearing the letter X modelled first gives your child a reference point before any activity begins.
2 Colour
Colouring the letter X helps your child spend more relaxed, hands-on time with its shape while building fine motor control with a crayon or pencil. This page pairs the big X/x with four pictures — x-ray and xylophone, plus box and fox, where x comes at the end — so your child sees the letter used in real words while they colour.
3 Identify
Before your child writes the letter X, they need to be able to spot it confidently among other letters — both the capital X and the lowercase x. These activities ask your child to circle, find, or match the correct letter among similar-looking ones.
For more practice, try our free alphabet identification worksheets.
💡 Say it out loud
While your child works through the sheet, say: “X — x-ray, xylophone, fox.” Verbal repetition alongside the worksheet helps reinforce the letter sound and makes learning more effective than using the worksheet alone.
4 Connect
X says /ks/
Letter X is only useful once your child knows what it sounds like. These activities connect the shape of the letter to its sound using pictures your child already recognises — like x-ray.
For more sound practice, see our phonics and beginning sounds worksheets.
5 Trace
Learn the Correct Stroke
Rarely a beginning sound in English — most words with X have it in the middle or at the end (box, fox), so beginning-sound practice needs different framing than other letters. Tracing helps your child build the correct starting point and stroke direction for the letter X before attempting it freehand.
6 Write Independently
No Dotted Guide
Once tracing feels comfortable, move to writing the letter X without the guide. If it feels tricky at first, that’s a normal early stage — steady practice, not correction, is what builds it into muscle memory.
For extra handwriting practice, see our tracing and writing worksheets.
7 Check
Check — Letter X Assessment
A short assessment lets you confirm your child recognises, sounds out, and writes the letter X confidently before moving on. This is designed to be completed after your child has worked through at least 3 of the activities above.
For a broader check across several letters, try our English assessment worksheets.
🏆 Celebrate
Letter X Certificate
Once your child passes the check, print this certificate together. It’s a small moment that makes them want to come back for Letter Y.
Click here to submit 3 completed worksheets and get a free printable certificate.
What’s next? Move on to the Letter Y Learning Path. You can also browse our free English worksheets or see all Learning Paths.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are there so few words that start with the X sound?
X almost never begins English words — it’s far more common in the middle or at the end (box, fox, six). X-ray is one of the only common exceptions, which is why it’s the standard example word for this letter’s beginning-sound practice.
Do I need to complete every step in one sitting?
No — most families spread the seven steps across several short sessions rather than one long one.
How many activities does my child need to finish before getting the certificate?
Complete at least 3 activities from this page, then complete the assessment sheet to earn your certificate.