Free printable letter D worksheets for preschool and kindergarten: trace uppercase D and lowercase d, find the letter, follow the letter maze and color D words.
Preschool and kindergartenCommon Core RF.K.1.D, RF.K.3.A2 free PDFs with answer keys
Change the numbers, layout and number of problems, then download a new PDF with its answer key.
D is a consonant that children often confuse with b, so clear practice pays off. These free letter D worksheets include tracing D and d with arrows, a find-the-letter grid with b, p and q mixed in, a D maze and a coloring page that starts with “D is for dog”.
Free letter D worksheets to print (PDF)
Each of these letter D worksheets is a one-page PDF; the find and maze pages add an answer key. Press Customize to change the colors or paper size in the maker on this page.
Trace D and dArrows first, then on their own.PDFCustomizeFind the letter DCircle and count, with key.PDFCustomizeLetter D mazeColor the D path, with key.PDFCustomizeD is for dogColor, trace and draw.PDFCustomize
The letter D sound
D says /d/, as in dog, duck and drum. The tongue taps just behind the top teeth and the voice is on. Keep it short, /d/ rather than “duh”, so it blends into words like dad and dig. D is common at the end of words (bed, red, sad) and in the past-tense ending -ed, as in played, which children meet in early books.
D is for dog: letter D words for kids
Words that start with D: dog, duck, drum, door, dinosaur, doll, dolphin, desk, dish, dragon.
D inside or at the end: bed, red, sad, kid, salad, ladder.
The color page uses dog, duck, drum and door, so children trace each word and color the matching letter.
Letter D at a glance
Place in the alphabet
4th of 26, after C and before E
Type
Consonant
Uppercase shape
Straight lines and curves
Often confused with
b, p and q
Scrabble tile value
2 points
Grouping letters by shape helps handwriting: letters made of straight lines and curves, like D, combine both skills, so practice the separate strokes first.
How to write D and d
Uppercase D: A tall line down, then back to the top and one big curve out and down to the bottom.
Lowercase d: Curve around like a c, go up tall, then straight down. The belly is on the left, not the right like b.
Teach lowercase d as “c, then up and down”: start with a c curve, go all the way up to the top line and come straight back down. That makes it different from b, which starts with the tall line. Saying “c first” every time is the simplest way to stop b and d swaps.
Letter D tracing and the rest of the pack
Trace: letter D tracing with arrows to follow, then uppercase D and lowercase d on their own.
Find the letter: circle every D and d hidden among similar-looking letters, then count them.
Letter maze: color the D squares to make a path from start to finish.
Color: color the big Dd, trace the D words and draw something that starts with D.
Letter D activities for preschool
Short, hands-on games make the letter D worksheets stick. Try one a day alongside the printed pages:
Dot-to-dot D: draw a D in dots and let your child join them, starting at the top.
Drum beats: tap a drum or pot once for every /d/ word you say together: dog, desk, door.
Dinosaur tracks: stamp toy dinosaur feet in play dough shaped like a D.
Duck pond: float paper ducks with letters on them and fish out only the Ds.
A letter D week plan
Monday: say the /d/ sound together, trace D and d on the first page, then try the Dot-to-dot D idea above.
Tuesday: work through the find-the-letter page, count how many you circled, and move on to Drum beats.
Wednesday: solve the letter D maze, then play Dinosaur tracks.
Thursday: color “D is for dog”, read dog, duck, drum and door aloud and finish with Duck pond.
Friday: write D and d from memory, look for D in a favorite picture book and reprint any page that felt tricky.
Letter D worksheets kindergarten teachers can use
Kindergarten readers meet d in words such as dad, did, dog, dug and red. The letter D worksheets teachers rely on pair d with b so children compare them side by side. Use the find-the-letter page as a check: if your child circles b by mistake, trace the d together saying “c, then up and down”.
Names: if someone in the family has a name that starts with D, the name tracing worksheets turn it into a tracing page.
Whole alphabet: the alphabet worksheets hub has all 26 letter packs plus ABC order and matching pages.
Letter D worksheets: frequently asked questions
What age are letter D worksheets for?
Preschool and kindergarten, usually ages 3 to 6. Kindergarten expects children to recognize and name all upper- and lowercase letters (Common Core RF.K.1.D).
How many days should we spend on the letter D?
A letter-of-the-week plan uses one page a day: trace on Monday, find on Tuesday, the maze on Wednesday and coloring on Thursday, with Friday for review or a craft.
How can I help with b and d reversals?
Teach d as a c with a tall line and b as a tall line with a ball. Practice each separately before mixing them, and expect reversals to fade by age 7.
When does the -ed ending come in?
First grade usually teaches -ed, but children may notice it earlier in words like jumped and played.
Can I print a different letter or several at once?
Yes. The maker on this page can build packs for any letters, like S, A, T, P, I, N, or the whole alphabet.
