Last Sound Match
Match pictures that end with the same sound.
Words
Match
How to run it
Say both words with the final sound held: cattt, boattt. Holding it is what makes the ending available to a young child, since final consonants in ordinary speech are quiet and often unreleased. Do this board only after first-sound matching is solid — the two look similar and are genuinely different in difficulty. Eight minutes covers all twelve pairs.
Cueing ladder
Start at the top. Add support one step at a time.
- IndependentSay the item and wait 5 seconds for the student's answer.Log as correct
- Stretch itSay the word again slowly, stretching the sounds or tapping the syllables.Log as cued
- Two choicesOffer two answers, the right one not always second.Log as cued
- ModelDo it yourself, tapping as you go, then the student does it after you.Log as cued
Adjust it
Use pictures, fewer items, and words with fewer sounds.
Take the pictures away, or move on to blending three sounds into a word.
Matching IEP goal
Given spoken words, such as 'cat' and 'dog', Student will identify the first or last sound in a word in 8 of 10 opportunities across 3 consecutive sessions, given no more than one repetition.
Send it home through the parent portal →About this activity
Twelve pairs of pictures that end with the same sound: cat and boat, dog and pig, cup and map, bus and house, ball and doll, drum and ham, fan and moon, leaf and roof, car and star, bed and bird, box and fox, cake and book. Matching by final sound is harder than by first sound, because the ending arrives after the whole word has been processed.
What to listen for
Watch for matching by the beginning instead. A child who pairs bus with bed has attended to the first sound, which is the default and is not carelessness — it is the skill they already have. Notice which endings are easiest: continuants like /s/, /m/ and /f/ can be held and are easier than stops like /t/, /g/ and /k/, which are over instantly.
Carrying it home
Rhyming is not the same skill, but it is the nearest one families already do. Once a child rhymes reliably, asking what sound a word ends with is the next step and takes seconds.
What's in this activity
- cat boat
- dog pig
- cup map
- bus house
- ball doll
- drum ham
- fan moon
- leaf roof
- car star
- bed bird
- box fox
- cake book
Questions
- What ages is this for?
- Kindergarten through second grade, after initial sound awareness is established.
- Do I need an account?
- No, all twelve pairs play free.
- Why is the last sound harder than the first?
- Because the child has to hold the whole word and then attend to its end, and final consonants are quieter in ordinary speech. First-sound awareness reliably develops earlier.
Use this board with your caseload
With a free account, every correct, cued and incorrect mark is saved to the student and scored against their IEP goal, with the data written up for you. Assign it as home practice through the parent portal.
Track progress freeFree for SLPs. No card, no trial clock.