📚 Detailed Explanation of the Topic: Frequently Confused Letters for Year 1

Frequently confused letters are letters that look very similar and can be tricky to tell apart. In Year 1, many children find it tricky to know which letter is which because they might look almost the same. This is part of the English National Curriculum for Year 1, where children learn to recognise and write letters clearly.

Some commonly confused letters are:

  • b and d
  • p and q

These letters look like mirror images of each other, so it can be easy to mix them up.

🔍 How to Tell the Difference Between ‘b‘ and ‘d‘

  • The letter b has the straight line first, then the round part goes to the right. You can think of it like a bat and ball: the bat is the straight line and the ball is the round part that comes after.
  • The letter d has the round part first, then the straight line comes after on the right side.

🔍 How to Tell the Difference Between ‘p‘ and ‘q‘

  • The letter p has a straight line going down first and then a round part going to the right.
  • The letter q has the round part first and then a straight line going down on the right, like a tail.

💡 Tips to Help Remember

  • You can use your hands! Hold your hands in front of you with thumbs sticking out. Your left hand looks like a b and your right hand looks like a d.
  • Try to say the sounds of the letters aloud and look carefully at the shape.
  • Practice writing the letters while saying their names slowly.

These steps help children in Year 1 to spot the differences between these letters and improve their reading and writing skills. Learning this helps children become confident readers and writers, just like in the English National Curriculum and common schemes of work for Key Stage 1. Keep practising and it will get easier! 🎉

❓ 20 Examination-style Questions on Frequently Confused Letters for Year 1 English

Here are 20 simple examination-style questions designed for Year 1 pupils in the UK to help practice recognising and telling apart frequently confused letters like ‘b’ and ‘d’, and ‘p’ and ‘q’.

Question 1

Circle the letter that looks like a bat.
a) b
b) d

Answer: a) b

Question 2

Which letter is the one that looks like a dog?
a) b
b) d

Answer: b) d

Question 3

Look at these letters: p, q.
Which letter looks like a popping balloon?
Answer: p

Question 4

Look at these letters: p, q.
Which letter looks like a queen’s crown?
Answer: q

Question 5

Circle the letter that comes first in the alphabet: b or d?
Answer: b

Question 6

Tick the letter that starts the word ‘dog’: b, d
Answer: d

Question 7

Point to the letter that starts the word ‘ball’: b or d?
Answer: b

Question 8

Look at these letters. Which letter is different? b, d, b, d, p
Answer: p

Question 9

Circle the letter that has a round shape and a stick on the left side: b or d?
Answer: b

Question 10

Circle the letter that has a round shape and a stick on the right side: b or d?
Answer: d

Question 11

Tick the letter that looks like a pencil pointing down: p or q?
Answer: p

Question 12

Tick the letter that looks like a tail going to the left: p or q?
Answer: q

Question 13

Which letter is this? (Show the letter b)
a) b
b) d

Answer: a) b

Question 14

Which letter is this? (Show the letter d)
a) b
b) d

Answer: b) d

Question 15

Which letter is this? (Show the letter p)
a) p
b) q

Answer: a) p

Question 16

Which letter is this? (Show the letter q)
a) p
b) q

Answer: b) q

Question 17

Circle the letter that is a brother letter to ‘b’: d or p?
Answer: d

Question 18

Circle the letter that is a sister letter to ‘p’: q or d?
Answer: q

Question 19

Tick the letter that starts the word ‘queen’: p or q?
Answer: q

Question 20

Tick the letter that starts the word ‘pen’: p or q?
Answer: p

These questions help children practise spotting and naming the letters that are often confused, helping improve their letter recognition and reading skills in line with Year 1 expectations. 📖✨