US President Obama has appealed to American parents to speak to their children about the dangers of guns.

He made the comments in his monthly address at the White House.

The shooting of 49 people at a nightclub in Orlando last week was the deadliest attack on LGBT people in US history.

In the context of upcoming Father's Day this Sunday, Mr Obama said he worries about his own children.

And that inaction "is simply inexcusable."

"I grew up without my father around. While I wonder what my life would have been like if he had been a greater presence, I've also tried extra hard to be a good dad for my own daughters," he said.

"Like all dads, I worry about my girls' safety all the time. Especially when we see preventable violence in places our sons and daughters go every day - their schools and houses of worship, movie theatres, nightclubs, as they get older."

"We need to speak up"

"It's unconscionable that we allow easy access to weapons of war in these places - and then, even after we see parents grieve for their children, the fact that we as a country do nothing to prevent the next heartbreak makes no sense."

"So this past week, I've also thought a lot about dads and moms around the country who've had to explain to their children what happened in Orlando."

"Time and again, we've observed moments of silence for victims of terror and gun violence."

"Too often, those moments have been followed by months of silence. By inaction that is simply inexcusable."

"If we're going to raise our kids in a safer, more loving world, we need to speak up for it. We need our kids to hear us speak up about the risks guns pose to our communities, and against a status quo that doesn't make sense."

"They need to hear us say these things even when those who disagree are loud and are powerful," he added.