Halloween Words That Start With A
nine Halloween words start with the letter A: Alien, Afraid, Attic, Apple Bobbing, Autumn, Acorn, Apple Cider, Angel and Astronaut. Halloween falls on October 31, and these are the words a preschooler actually meets on the night. Each one below has a short meaning, how many syllables it has, how to say it and a sentence to use it in, plus two free printables.
All nine Halloween words that start with A
Spooky A words
- Alien
- Afraid
- Attic
Other A words you will hear at Halloween
These are not spooky words, but a child hears every one of them on Halloween night.
- Apple Bobbing
- Autumn
- Acorn
- Apple Cider
- Angel
- Astronaut
| Word | What it means | Syllables | Say it like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alien | A make-believe creature from another planet. | 3 | AY-lee-un |
| Afraid | Feeling scared of something. | 2 | uh-FRAYD |
| Attic | The room right under the roof of a house. | 2 | AT-ik |
| Apple Bobbing | A game where you catch a floating apple with your teeth. | 4 | AP-ul BOB-ing |
| Autumn | The season when leaves change color and fall. | 2 | AW-tum |
| Acorn | The small nut that falls from an oak tree. | 2 | AY-korn |
| Apple Cider | A warm drink made from pressed apples. | 4 | AP-ul SY-der |
| Angel | A make-believe figure with wings, often dressed in white. | 2 | AYN-jul |
| Astronaut | Someone who travels into space. | 3 | AS-tro-nawt |
What each word means
Alien
It is one of the few costumes that is strange without being frightening, which is why it suits a child who wants to dress up but not be scared. In a sentence: “The alien costume had a big green head and three eyes.”
Afraid
Worth teaching early, because a child who can say it does not have to cry to tell you. In a sentence: “I was afraid of the dark hallway until we turned the light on.”
Attic
Most spooky stories put a noise up there, and most children have never actually been in one, which is exactly why it works. In a sentence: “Something creaked in the attic above our heads.”
Apple Bobbing
It is the oldest game on this list and the messiest, so it usually happens outside or over a towel. In a sentence: “She got the apple bobbing on her second try.”
Autumn
The word is spelled with a silent n at the end, which surprises children who have only heard it said. In a sentence: “Halloween happens in the middle of autumn.”
Acorn
They are all over the ground in October, so this is a word a child can go outside and hold. In a sentence: “We collected a pocket full of acorns on the way home.”
Apple Cider
Served warm at almost every fall event, which makes it easy to attach the word to a real moment. In a sentence: “We drank warm apple cider after trick or treating.”
Angel
A common choice for a child who wants wings without anything spooky attached. In a sentence: “He dressed as an angel with paper wings.”
Astronaut
One of the most popular costumes that has nothing to do with being scared. In a sentence: “Her astronaut costume had a helmet made from a box.”
Which A words are hardest for a preschooler to say?
Afraid, Attic, Autumn, Acorn and Angel each start with a single /a/ sound, so a three year old can usually copy them straight back. If your child is at the copying-back stage, start with Afraid.
Alien, Apple Bobbing, Apple Cider and Astronaut are hard for a different reason. There is no blend to trip over: at three syllables they are simply a mouthful, and most children shorten them long before they say them in full.
How to use these A words with preschoolers
Say it, then find it
Say the word out loud and stretch the first sound: afraid. Then ask your child to find something in the room that starts the same way. Hearing the sound and then finding it on something real ties the letter to something your child can already picture.
Sort the scary from the silly
Read the list together and let your child put each word in one of two piles: silly or spooky. There is no right answer, and the sorting is what makes them think about what the word actually means. It also gives you a gentle way to talk about being a little bit scared on purpose.
Trace it, then draw it
Use the tracing sheet below to write the three spooky words, then ask your child to draw one of them on the back. Writing the word and picturing it at the same time is what makes it stick.
Free printables: the Halloween A word list and tracing sheet
Two pages, A4, free to print with no sign-up. The word list has all nine words in large type with a tick box beside each one, so a child can mark off the words they can read. The tracing sheet has the three spooky words, Alien, Afraid and Attic, on handwriting rules to write over.
Word list
Tracing sheet
More on the letter A
This page is one letter of Halloween words A to Z. For letter formation and tracing practice, see letter A activities for preschoolers. For animal names beginning with the same letter, see animals that start with A, and for the winter equivalent see Christmas words that start with A.
Halloween words A to Z: A · B · C · D · E · F · G · H · I · J · K · L · M · N · O · P · Q · R · S · T · U · V · W · X · Y · Z
Halloween words that start with B →
Frequently asked questions
What Halloween words start with A?
Alien, Afraid, Attic, Apple Bobbing, Autumn, Acorn, Apple Cider, Angel and Astronaut. All nine are listed above with a short meaning for each.
Which Halloween A word is easiest for a preschooler?
Afraid. It is one syllable, the first sound is easy to stretch out, and most children have already seen one, which fixes the word far faster than a definition does.
How many syllables are in these A words?
They run from one to four. are single syllables, which is where to start.
How do I teach Halloween words without frightening my child?
Start with the silly ones and leave the spooky ones until they ask. A costume, a pumpkin and a bucket of candy are Halloween to a four year old. If a word does worry them, let them draw it and give it a friendly face, which takes the fear out of it faster than telling them not to worry.
What age are these words for?
Three to six. Younger children will recognize the words when you say them long before they can read them, which is the point of tracing rather than copying.
