Alphabet Songs and Rhymes for Kids

9 rhymes with full lyrics

Children meet the alphabet in three ways: as a song with a tune, as a rhyme that gives each letter a job, and as a short chant for spelling. The nine rhymes on this page cover all three. Each page has the full words, a note on what they mean and where they come from.

Start with The Alphabet Song (ABC Song). It splits the letters into short groups, A to G, H to P, Q to V and W to Z, which makes the order easier to remember. It shares its tune with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep, so a child who knows one of those already knows the melody. They are not alphabet rhymes, so they sit in other groups.

Once the letters have an order, A Was an Apple Pie and Says A, Give Me a Good Large Slice give each letter a word that begins with it, and C-A-T Spells Cat spells whole words out loud. The shortest ones, Great A, Little a and A, B, C, Tumble Down D, make quick chants for the first letters. F for Fig, J for Jig, Here's A, B, C, D and Apple-pie, Pudding, and Pancake are puzzles and lists that play with letters in their own way.

A Was an Apple PieA was an apple-pieA, B, C, Tumble Down DA, B, C, tumble down DApple-pie, Pudding, and PancakeApple-pie, pudding, and pancakeC-A-T Spells CatC-A-T spells CATF for Fig, J for JigF for fig, J for jigGreat A, Little aGreat A, little aHere's A, B, C, DHere's A, B, C, DSays A, Give Me a Good Large SliceSays A, Give me a good large slice.The Alphabet Song (ABC Song)A, B, C, D, E, F, G

Frequently Asked Questions

Which alphabet rhymes help with letter sounds?
A Was an Apple Pie gives every letter a verb that begins with it, such as bit, cut and dealt. Says A, Give Me a Good Large Slice does the same with the words each letter says.
Why are I and U missing from A Was an Apple Pie?
In older English alphabets I and J counted as one letter, and so did U and V, so the old rhyme skips them.
Does the ABC song share its tune with other rhymes?
Yes. It uses the same melody as Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baa Black Sheep.
How old is A Was an Apple Pie?
It is one of the oldest alphabet rhymes in English. The writer John Eachard referred to it in a book published in 1671.
Which rhyme spells out whole words?
C-A-T Spells Cat spells one word per pair of lines, starting with cat, dog, cow and ox.

More Types of Nursery Rhymes