What’s the difference between a letter and a sound?

Question

A letter is what we see written down (like "s"), and a sound is what we say (like the /s/ sound in sun). Letters represent sounds when we read and write.

Answer 1

Many years ago, I used to tell my students that writing is the poor child of speech. If you teach English or writing at the university level, there is the tendency for instructors to place a lot of value in writing.

And, yes, there is a lot of value in writing. There is tremendous value. Writing still cannot compete with speaking. There isn't a culture on Earth that developed writing before speaking.

That said, writing can be a physical representation of sounds in languages. English is a language without a 1 to 1 phonetic system. We have spelling bees. Other languages do not have nor need spelling bees. Yes, Mandarin and Japanese students often have something similar with writing where they practice making the characters correctly.

It is not spelling.

I would say the letter /s/ is the mental image we think of when we read or say the letter. The sound is what we actually perform with our mouths. [s]

This is why the letters /ph/ in "physical" avbove come out for English speakers making an [f] sound.

Answer 2

A sound is defined as "vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person's or animal's ear." A letter is defined as "A character representing one or more of the sounds used in speech; any of the symbols of an alphabet."

Using that logic, letters are symbols of the alphabet that represent vibrations in the air, better known as sounds.

Answer 3

Letters are written symbols of any language, whereas sounds are spoken components of a language.

1. /K/ sound in Cat
2. letters = 26 in the English alphabet
3. Sounds (phonemes)= 44 in elgish

Answer 4

A letter is what we see and write, like "s".

A sound is what we hear and say, like the /s/ sound at the beginning of "sun."

Letters are symbols that stand for sounds. When we read and write, we match letters to the sounds they make.

Answer 5

What’s the Difference Between a Letter and a Sound?

A letter is a written symbol—we see it on a page, like S, T, or A.

A sound is something we hear and say—like the /s/ sound in sun, or the /t/ sound in top.

Letters are used to represent sounds. For example:

1. The letter “s” usually makes the /s/ sound like in sun
2. The letter “a” can make different sounds, like /a/ in apple or /ā/ in acorn

So:

1. Letters = what we see
2. Sounds = what we hear and say

Understanding this difference helps kids become better readers and spellers because it lays the foundation for decoding (reading words) and encoding (spelling words).

🧠 Why It Matters: Science of Reading

The Science of Reading teaches us that strong reading starts with phonemic awareness—the ability to hear and work with sounds in spoken language—before connecting those sounds to letters. When children clearly understand that letters stand for sounds, they can begin to read and spell with more confidence.

A systematic and explicit approach—where kids are directly taught how letters and sounds work together—is proven to help students of all levels, including those with dyslexia or reading challenges.

👩‍🏫 How a Tutor Can Help

As a literacy-endorsed tutor with over 30 years of experience, I specialize in helping children connect letters and sounds using research-backed strategies that build strong readers step by step.

Whether your child is just starting out or struggling with early reading, I can provide personalized lessons to build confidence and skill.

📩 Reach out today to schedule a session or learn more about how I can support your child’s learning journey! Scroll to the bottom of my profile and click message Michele W.