Halloween Words That Start With O
seven Halloween words start with the letter O: October, Owl, Ogre, Ooze, Orange, Outfit and Outside. 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 seven Halloween words that start with O
Spooky O words
- October
- Owl
- Ogre
- Ooze
Other O words you will hear at Halloween
These are not spooky words, but a child hears every one of them on Halloween night.
- Orange
- Outfit
- Outside
| Word | What it means | Syllables | Say it like |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | The tenth month of the year, when Halloween happens. | 3 | ok-TOH-ber |
| Owl | A bird with big eyes that hunts at night. | 1 | owl |
| Ogre | A large clumsy giant from old stories. | 2 | OH-ger |
| Ooze | To flow out slowly and thickly. | 1 | ooz |
| Orange | The color of a pumpkin. | 2 | OR-inj |
| Outfit | A set of clothes worn together. | 2 | OWT-fit |
| Outside | Not indoors. | 2 | owt-SYDE |
What each word means
October
Halloween is always the last day of it, which gives a child a way to count down on a calendar. In a sentence: “October ends with Halloween.”
Owl
Real, nocturnal and genuinely silent in flight, which is more interesting than any story about one. In a sentence: “An owl called from the tall tree.”
Ogre
Usually slow and not very clever in stories, which makes it one of the gentler monsters. In a sentence: “The ogre stomped through the forest.”
Ooze
Say it slowly and the word sounds like the thing it means, which children notice straight away. In a sentence: “Green slime oozed out of the jar.”
Orange
Halloween's color along with black, and the first thing a child reaches for in the crayon box in October. In a sentence: “Everything on the table was orange and black.”
Outfit
A plainer word than costume, useful when a child wants to dress up without being a character. In a sentence: “Her whole outfit was black.”
Outside
Where the whole night happens, and the reason a coat argument happens first. In a sentence: “We ate our candy outside on the step.”
Which O words are hardest for a preschooler to say?
Owl, Ogre, Ooze, Orange, Outfit and Outside each start with a single /o/ sound, so a three year old can usually copy them straight back. If your child is at the copying-back stage, start with Owl.
October is hard for a different reason. There is no blend to trip over: at three syllables it is simply a mouthful, and most children shorten it long before they say it in full.
How to use these O words with preschoolers
Say it, then find it
Say the word out loud and stretch the first sound: owl. 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 four 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 O word list and tracing sheet
Two pages, A4, free to print with no sign-up. The word list has all seven 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 four spooky words, October, Owl, Ogre and Ooze, on handwriting rules to write over.
Word list
Tracing sheet
More on the letter O
This page is one letter of Halloween words A to Z. For letter formation and tracing practice, see letter O activities for preschoolers. For animal names beginning with the same letter, see animals that start with O, and for the winter equivalent see Christmas words that start with O.
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 N | Halloween words that start with P →
Frequently asked questions
What Halloween words start with O?
October, Owl, Ogre, Ooze, Orange, Outfit and Outside. All seven are listed above with a short meaning for each.
Which Halloween O word is easiest for a preschooler?
Owl. 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 O words?
They run from one to three. Owl and Ooze 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.
