Welsh Alphabet for Kids: 29 Letters, Sounds and First Words
The Welsh alphabet is a little adventure of its own. It has familiar letters, seven vowels and eight special letter-pairs that count as one letter. This child-friendly guide introduces every letter through a simple Welsh word, an English meaning and an easy sound clue.
Welsh name: Yr Wyddor Gymraeg — the Welsh alphabet. Its order is: A, B, C, CH, D, DD, E, F, FF, G, NG, H, I, J, L, LL, M, N, O, P, PH, R, RH, S, T, TH, U, W, Y.
The complete Welsh alphabet chart for children
Say the letter, read the Welsh word and then share its English meaning. The yellow cards mark Welsh digraphs: two written characters treated as a single alphabet letter.
afal
apple
Sound: “a”, as in cat
bara
bread
Sound: b, as in bat
ci
dog
Sound: always a hard c, like cat
coch
red
Sound: ch in Scottish loch
dŵr
water
Sound: d, as in dog
ddoe
yesterday
Sound: th in this
eliffant
elephant
Sound: e, as in bed
fideo
video
Sound: v, as in van
ffrind
friend
Sound: f, as in fish
gardd
garden
Sound: always hard, as in go
cangen
branch
Sound: ng in sing
haul
sun
Sound: h, as in happy
iâr
hen
Sound: often “ee”, as in see
jeli
jelly
Sound: j, as in jam
lori
lorry
Sound: l, as in lamp
llaeth
milk
Sound: place the tongue for l and blow air
mam
mum
Sound: m, as in moon
nos
night
Sound: n, as in nest
oren
orange
Sound: o, as in orange
pen
head
Sound: p, as in pen
ei phen
her head
Sound: f, as in phone
rhosyn
rose
Sound: a light rolled or tapped r
rhaw
spade
Sound: a breathy, unvoiced r
seren
star
Sound: s, as in sun
tŷ
house
Sound: t, as in top
cath
cat
Sound: th in thin
un
one
Sound: varies by region; often close to “ee” in South Wales
cwm
valley
Sound: here it is a vowel, like “oo”
ysgol
school
Sound: can sound like “uh” or “ee”
What makes the Welsh alphabet different?
Children usually spot the double letters first. In Welsh, CH, DD, FF, NG, LL, PH, RH and TH are not simply two letters standing side by side. Each is a digraph with its own place in the alphabet. That matters when children recite the alphabet or look up a Welsh word.
| Easy-to-mix-up letters | Remember it this way |
|---|---|
| F and FF | Welsh F sounds like English V. Welsh FF sounds like English F. |
| DD and TH | DD is the voiced sound in this; TH is the quiet sound in thin. |
| C and G | Both keep their hard sounds: C as in cat, G as in go. |
| U, W and Y | All three can act as vowels. Their sound depends on the word and, sometimes, the region. |
The traditional Welsh alphabet does not include K, Q, V, X or Z, although you may see them in borrowed words, names and modern brand names. Welsh has seven vowels: A, E, I, O, U, W and Y.
Five simple Welsh alphabet activities for children
1. Special-letter hunt
Print the chart and ask your child to circle CH, DD, FF, NG, LL, PH, RH and TH. Say each sound together.
2. F or FF?
Write fideo and ffrind. Let your child hold a hand to their throat: F vibrates like V, while FF is airy like F.
3. Picture and word match
Draw an apple, dog, sun, star and house. Match them to afal, ci, haul, seren and tŷ.
4. Letter-of-the-day
Choose one letter, say its example word three times, draw it and look for it in a Welsh book or road sign.
5. Make a Welsh word wall
Add one new word every week. Group words by first letter, remembering that LL belongs after L and RH after R.
Quick challenge
Which letter sounds like V? F. Which pair sounds like TH in “this”? DD. How many letters are there? 29.
Free printable Welsh alphabet chart
Use the button below to print a clean A4 chart. The page is designed to place the cards neatly from the top of the sheet, with the site credit at the end rather than floating in the middle.
A Welsh alphabet book for young learners
First Welsh Alphabet Adventure — bilingual children’s book
If your child learns best through colourful pages and shared reading, this bilingual alphabet adventure can continue the lesson away from the screen. Read the Welsh words together, compare them with the English text and let your child choose a favourite page to revisit.
Amazon availability and prices can change. This is a sponsored retail link; check the product page for the current edition, price and delivery information.Continue learning Welsh with Prydain
Pair the alphabet with a simple bilingual Welsh dragon poem for children, practise names with the Prydain name pronunciation guide, or download the Welsh mythology word search. Families reading Lloyd Alexander can also use the Chronicles of Prydain reading order and age guide.
Welsh alphabet questions from parents
How many letters are in the Welsh alphabet?
There are 29 letters. Eight of them—CH, DD, FF, NG, LL, PH, RH and TH—are written with two characters but treated as single alphabet letters.
Does Welsh have the letter J?
Yes. J is included in the modern Welsh alphabet and is commonly seen in borrowed words such as jeli.
Why are W and Y vowels in Welsh?
Welsh uses A, E, I, O, U, W and Y as vowels. In a word such as cwm, W carries the vowel sound. The exact sound of Y changes according to its position and the word.
What age is this Welsh alphabet guide for?
It is best suited to children aged roughly 3–8, with adult help for the unfamiliar sounds. Older beginners can use it as a quick reference too.
Can a non-Welsh-speaking parent use this chart?
Yes. Begin with the familiar letters and treat the sound notes as a starting point. For accurate pronunciation, add recordings from trusted Welsh-language learning services or practise with a Welsh speaker.
