Free printable letter U worksheets for preschool and kindergarten: trace uppercase U and lowercase u, find the letter, follow the letter maze and color U 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.
U is a vowel shaped like a cup, which makes it easy to remember. These free letter U worksheets let children trace U and u, find the letter among n and v, follow a U maze and color pictures for “U is for umbrella”.
Free letter U worksheets to print (PDF)
Each of these letter U 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 U and uArrows first, then on their own.PDFCustomizeFind the letter UCircle and count, with key.PDFCustomizeLetter U mazeColor the U path, with key.PDFCustomizeU is for umbrellaColor, trace and draw.PDFCustomize
The letter U sound
Short u is the sound in umbrella, up, under, bus and cup: a short “uh” from the middle of the mouth. Long u says its name, as in unicorn, uniform and cube, and in some words it says /oo/, as in flute and June. U also follows q in every qu word, like queen.
U is for umbrella: letter U words for kids
Words that start with U: umbrella, up, under, uncle, umpire, unicorn, uniform, ukulele, utensils, upside down.
Short u in the middle: bus, cup, duck, sun, mud, bug.
The color page uses umbrella, up, under and uncle, so children trace each word and color the matching letter.
Letter U at a glance
Place in the alphabet
21st of 26, after T and before V
Type
Vowel
Uppercase shape
Straight lines and curves
Often confused with
n, v and V
Scrabble tile value
1 point
Grouping letters by shape helps handwriting: letters made of straight lines and curves, like U, combine both skills, so practice the separate strokes first.
How to write U and u
Uppercase U: Down, curve around at the bottom, and back up to the top.
Lowercase u: Down, curve around, up to the middle line, then a straight line down.
Uppercase U goes down, curves around the bottom and comes back up to the top. Lowercase u is the same shape with a short line down the right side. Children sometimes write u as an upside-down n; tracing it as a cup that holds water helps them remember which way it opens.
Letter U tracing and the rest of the pack
Trace: letter U tracing with arrows to follow, then uppercase U and lowercase u on their own.
Find the letter: circle every U and u hidden among similar-looking letters, then count them.
Letter maze: color the U squares to make a path from start to finish.
Color: color the big Uu, trace the U words and draw something that starts with U.
Letter U activities for preschool
Short, hands-on games make the letter U worksheets stick. Try one a day alongside the printed pages:
Umbrella U: open an umbrella, turn it upside down and see the U shape.
Up and under: play a game of putting toys up on the table and under it, saying “up” and “under”.
Cup U: paint U shapes using the rim of a paper cup.
Unicorn horn: make a paper unicorn horn and decorate it with lowercase u.
A letter U week plan
Monday: say the /u/ sound together, trace U and u on the first page, then try the Umbrella U idea above.
Tuesday: work through the find-the-letter page, count how many you circled, and move on to Up and under.
Wednesday: solve the letter U maze, then play Cup U.
Thursday: color “U is for umbrella”, read umbrella, up, under and uncle aloud and finish with Unicorn horn.
Friday: write U and u from memory, look for U in a favorite picture book and reprint any page that felt tricky.
Letter U worksheets kindergarten teachers can use
Kindergarten readers meet short u in bug, bus, cup, fun, hug, mud, run and sun, and the sight word up. The letter U worksheets teachers use help children hear short u in the middle of words, which is often the last short vowel they master.
Names: if someone in the family has a name that starts with U, 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 U worksheets: frequently asked questions
What age are letter U 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 U?
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.
Why does unicorn start with a long u?
The u in unicorn says its name, /yoo/. Most short u words that children read start with or contain the “uh” sound.
How do children tell u from n?
U opens at the top like a cup; n opens at the bottom like a doorway. The find-the-letter page practices this.
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.
