Phonics Word Families
Phonics are the sounds that letters make. Phonics word families are groups of words with the same letter pattern. Some letters make more than one sound depending on the other letters in the words. There are also letter combinations or blends of two or three letters that make certain sounds. You can do a lot of the same index card activities with these groups of words as you can with the words from the other word lists. The lists on this page focus on the sounds the letters make in the words. Here are some groups of letters to consider when learning about phonics word families: Single Consonants b c d f g h j k l m n p r s t v w y z Important Exceptions qu = /kw/ blend as in quick (the letter “q” is never used without “u”) ph - /f/ sound as in “phone” c = /s/ before i, e or y as in “city” c = /k/ before a, o, or u as in “cat” g = /j/ before i, e, or y as in “gem” g = /g/ before a, o, or u as in “good” Rare Exceptions ch = /k/ as in “character” ch = /sh/ as in “chef” s = /sh/ as in “sure” Consonant Digraphs ch as in “church” sh as in “shoe” th (voiced) as in “thin” th (voiceless) as in “this” wh (wh blend) as in “which” Silent Consonants gn = /n/ as in “gnat” kn = /n/ as in “knife” wr = /r/ as in “write” ck = /k/ as in “back”
Blends with no family dw = dwindle tw = tweet
Beginning Consonant Blends “l” family bl cl fl gl pl sl “r” family br dr fr gr pr tr wr “s” family sc sk sm sn sp st sw 3 letter blends scr squ str thr spr spl shr sch
That takes care of the consonant blends, now we’ll move on to the vowels. Vowels in Phonics Word FamiliesThe vowels are a e i o and u. Vowels combined with consonants in certain patterns or combinations create phonics word families.Vowels make a long sound and a short sound. The long sound is made when you hear the name of the vowel in the word such as the u in cute. The short sound is made when you don’t hear the full vowel sound such as the u in cut. In these lists of phonics word families, I have included the long and short sounds for the vowels and other combinations that make those sounds. Phonics Word Families with Short A sound
-ad ad, bad, dad, fad, had, lad, mad, pad, sad, tad, Brad, Chad, glad
-aft aft, raft, craft, draft, shaft
-am am, ham, jam, Pam, Sam, yam, clam, cram, gram, scam, scram, ham, slam, swam -amp amp, damp, lamp, ramp, champ, clamp, cramp, stamp -an an, ban, can, Dan, fan, man, pan, ran, tan, van, bran, clan, plan, scan, span, than -ance dance, chance, France, glance, prance, stance, trance -anch blanch, branch, ranch -and and, band, hand, land, sand, bland, brand, gland, stand -ang bang, fang, gang, rang, sang, clang, slang, sprang -ank bank, rank, sank, tank, yank, blank, clank, crank, drank, Frank, plank, thank -ant ant, can’t, pant, rant, chant, grant, plant, slant -ap cap, gap, lap, map, nap, rap, sap, tap, yap, chap, clap, flap, scrap, slap, snap, strap, trap, wrap -ash ash, bash, cash, dash, gash, hash, lash, mash, rash, sash, brash, clash, flash, slash, smash, stash, trash -ask ask, mask, task -asm chasm, spasm -asp gasp, rasp, clasp, grasp -ass bass, lass, mass, pass, brass, class, glass -ast cast, fast, last, mast, past, vast, blast -at at, bat, cat, fat, gnat, hat, mat, pat, rat, sat, brat, chat, flat, scat, slat, spat, that -atch batch, catch, hatch, latch, match, patch -ath bath, math, path, wrath -ax lax, Max, tax, wax, flax Phonics Word Families with Long A sound -ay away, bay, day, hay, jay, lay, nay, pay, ray, say, way, clay, fray, gray, play, pray, slay, spray, stay, stray, sway, tray -aid laid, maid, paid, raid, braid, staid -ail bail, fail, Gail, hail, jail, mail, nail, pail, quail, rail, sail, tail, wail, flail, frail, snail, trail -ain lain, main, pain, rain, vain, brain, chain, drain, grain, plain, slain, Spain, sprain, stain, strain, train -aint faint, paint, saint, taint, quaint
-aise raise, braise, chaise, praise
-ait bait, gait, wait, strait, trait
Phonics Word Families with long a sound spelled a(consonant) e -ace ace, face, lace, pace, race, brace, grace, place, space, trace -ade fade, jade, made, wade, blade, glade, grade, shade, spade, trade -age age, cage, gage, page, rage, sage, wage, stage -ake bake, cake, fake, Jake, lake, make, quake, rake, take, wake, brake, flake, shake, snake -ale bale, dale, gale, male, pale, sale, tale, scale, shale
-ame came, fame, game, lame, name, same, tame, blame, flame, frame, shame -ane cane, Jane, lane, mane, pane, sane, vane, crane, plane -ape cape, gape, nape, tape, drape, grape, scrape, shape -ase base, case, vase, chase -ate ate, date, fate, gate, hate, Kate, late, mate, rate, crate, grate, plate, skate, state -ave cave, Dave, gave, pave, rave, save, wave, brave, crave, grave, shave, slave -aze amaze, daze, faze, gaze, haze, maze, blaze, craze, glaze, graze
Phonics Word Families with Long A sound spelled a (two consonants) e -aste baste, haste, paste, taste, waste, chaste
More Phonics Word Families with Long A spellings -eigh neigh, weigh, sleigh -ey hey, grey, prey, they, whey
Phonics Word Families with Long A plus R -air air, fair, hair, pair, chair, flair, stair -are bare, care, dare, fare, hare, mare, rare, ware, blare, flare, glare, scare, share, snare, spare, square, stare
Phonics Word Families with Broad A + R -ar bar, car, far, jar, mar, par, tar, char, scar, spar, star -ard card, guard, hard, lard, yard, shard -arge barge, large, charge -ark ark, bark, dark, hark, lark, mark, park, Clark, shark, spark, stark -arm arm, farm, harm, charm -arn barn, darn, yarn -arp carp, harp, tarp, sharp -art cart, dart, mart, part, tart, chart, smart, start
Phonics Word Families with Broad O sound -alk balk, calk, talk, walk, chalk, stalk -all all, ball, call, gall, hall, mall, tall, wall, small, squall, stall -alt halt, malt, salt
--aught caught, naught, taught, fraught -aunch haunch, launch, paunch -aunt aunt, daunt, gaunt, haunt, jaunt, taunt, flaunt -aw caw, gnaw, jaw, law, paw, raw, saw, claw, draw, flaw, slaw, squaw, straw -awl bawl, brawl, crawl, drawl, shawl, scrawl -awn dawn, fawn, lawn, pawn, yawn, brawn, drawn, prawn Phonics Word Families with Short E sound -ead dead, head, lead, read, bread, dread, spread, thread, tread -ealth health, wealth, stealth -eck deck, heck, neck, peck, check, fleck, speck, wreck -ed Ed, bed, fed, led, Ned, red, Ted, wed, bled, bred, fled, Fred, shed, shred, sled, sped -edge edge, hedge, ledge, wedge, dredge, pledge -eft deft, heft, left, cleft, theft -eg beg, leg, peg -eld held, meld, weld -ell bell, cell, dell, fell, jell, knell, Nell, sell, tell, well, yell, dwell, quell, shell, smell, spell, swell -elp help, kelp, yelp -elt belt, felt, knelt, melt, pelt, welt, dwelt -em gem, hem, stem, them -en Ben, den, hen, Ken, men, pen, ten, yen, glen, then, when, wren -ence fence, hence, whence -end end, bend, fend, lend, mend, send, tend, vend, blend, spend, trend -ench bench, wench, clench, drench, French, quench, stench, trench, wrench -ense dense, sense, tense -ent bent, cent, dent, Kent, lent, rent, sent, tent, vent, went, scent, spent
-ep pep, rep, prep, step -ept kept, wept, crept, slept, swept -esh mesh, flesh, fresh -ess Bess, guess, less, mess, bless, chess, dress, press, stress -est best, guest, jest, lest, nest, pest, rest, test, vest, west, zest, blest, chest, crest, quest -et bet, get, jet, let, met, net, pet, set, wet, yet, Chet, fret -etch fetch, retch, sketch -ex hex, sex, vex, flex
Phonics Word Families with Long E sound -ea pea, sea, tea, flea, plea -each beach, each, leach, peach, reach, teach, bleach, breach, preach -ead bead, lead, read, knead, plead -eak beak, leak, peak, weak, bleak, creak, freak, sneak, speak, squeak, streak, tweak -eal deal, heal, meal, real, seal, teal, veal, zeal, squeal, steal -eam beam, ream, seam, cream, dream, gleam, scream, steam, stream, team -ean bean, dean, Jean, lean, mean, clean, glean -eap heap, leap, reap, cheap -ear dear, ear, fear, gear, hear, near, rear, sear, tear, year, clear, shear, smear, spear -east beast, east, feast, least, yeast -eat beat, eat, feat, heat, meat, neat, peat, seat, bleat, cheat, cleat, pleat -ee bee, fee, knee, see, tee, wee, flee, free, glee, tree -eech beech, leech, breech, screech, speech -eed deed, feed, heed, kneed, need, reed, seed, weed, bleed, breed, creed, freed, greed, speed, steed, treed, tweed -eek leek, meek, peek, reek, seek, week, cheek, creek, Greek, sleek -eel eel, feel, heel, keel, kneel, peel, reel, creel, steel, wheel -eem deem, seem, teem -een keen, queen, seen, teen, green, preen, screen, sheen -eep beep, deep, jeep, keep, peep, seep, weep, cheep, creep, sleep, steep, sweep -eer beer, deer, jeer, leer peer, queer, seer, sneer, steer -eet beet, feet, meet, fleet, greet, sheet, skeet, sleet, street, sweet, tweet -eeze breeze, freeze, sneeze, squeeze, tweeze, wheeze -ief brief, chief, grief, thief -ield field, yield, shield Phonics Word Families with Short I sound -ilk bilk, milk, silk -ill bill, dill, fill, gill, hill, ill, Jill, kill, mill, pill, quill, rill, sill, till, will, chill, drill, frill, grill, skill, spill, still, swill, thrill, trill, twill -ilt gilt, jilt, hilt, kilt, tilt, wilt, quilt, stilt -im dim, him, Jim, Kim, rim, Tim, vim, brim, grim, prim, slim, swim, trim, whim -in bin, din, fin, kin, pin, sin, tin, win, chin, grin, shin, skin, spin, thin, twin -ince mince, since, wince, prince -inch cinch, finch, inch, pinch, winch, clinch, flinch -ing bing, ding, king, ping, ring, sing, wing, zing, bring, cling, fling, sling, spring, sting, string, swing, thing, wring -inge binge, hinge, singe, tinge, cringe, fringe, twinge -ink kink, link, mink, pink, rink, sink, wink, blink, brink, chink, clink, drink, shrink, slink, stink, think -int hint, lint, mint, tint, glint, print, splint, sprint, squint -ip dip, hip, lip, nip, quip, rip, sip, tip, zip, blip, chip, clip, drip, flip, grip, ship, skip, slip, snip, strip, trip, whip -ish dish, fish, wish, swish -isk disk, risk, brisk, frisk, whisk -isp lisp, wisp, crisp -iss hiss, kiss, miss, bliss, Swiss -ist fist, list, mist, wrist, grist, twist -it bit, fit, hit, it, kit, knit, lit, pit, quit, sit, wit, flit, grit, skit, slit, spit, split, twit -itch ditch, hitch, itch, pitch, witch, switch -ix fix, mix, six Phonics Word Families with Long I sound -ie die, lie, pie, tie, vie -ied died, lied, dried, fried, tried -ier brier, crier, drier, flier -ies dies, lies, pies, ties, cries, dries, flies -ind bind, find, hind, kind, mind, rind, wind, blind, grind
Phonics Word Familieswith long I sound spelled i(consonant)e -ibe jibe, bribe, scribe, tribe -ice dice, lice, mice, nice, rice, vice, price, slice, splice, thrice, twice -ide bide, hide, ride, side, tide, wide, bride, chide, glide, pride, slide, snide, stride -ife fife, knife, life, wife, strife -ike bike, dike, hike, Ike, like, Mike, pike, spike, strike -ile bile, file, mile, Nile, pile, tile, vile, smile, while -ime dime, lime, mime, time, chime, crime, grime, prime, slime -ine dine, fine, line, mine, nine, pine, tine, vine, wine, brine, shine, shine, shrine, spine, swine, whine -ipe pipe, ripe, wipe, gripe, snipe, stripe, swipe -ire fire, hire, tire, wire, spire -ise guise, rise, wise -ite bite, kite, mite, quite, rite, site, white -ive dive, five, hive, jive, live, chive, drive Phonic Word Families wiht more ways to spell the long i sound -ight knight, light, might, night, right, sight, tight, blight, bright, flight, fright, plight, slight -ild mild, wild, child -y by, my, cry, dry, fly, dry, ply, pry, shy, sky, sly, spy, spry Phonics Word Families with the Short O sound -ob Bob, bob, cob, fob, gob, job, knob, lob, mob, rob, sob, blob, glob, slob, snob -ock dock, hock, knock, lock, mock, rock, sock, tock, block, clock, crock, clock, frock, shock, smock -od cod, God, mod, nod, pod, rod, sod, clod, plod, prod, shod, trod -odd odd, Todd -og bog, cog, dog, fog, hog, jog, log, clog, flog, frog -oll doll, loll, moll -omp pomp, romp, chomp, stomp -ond bond, fond, pond, blond, frond -ong bong, dong, gong, long, song, tong, prong, strong, wrong -op bop, cop, hop, mop, pop, sop, top, chop, crop, drop, flop, plop, shop, slop, stop -ot cot, dot, got, hot, jot, knot, lot, not, pot, rot, tot, blot, clot, plot, shot, slot, spot, trot -otch botch, notch, blotch, Scotch -ox ox, fox, lox, pox Phonics Word Families with Long O sound Spelled o (consonant) e -obe lobe, robe, globe, probe -ode code, lode, mode, node, rode, strode -oke coke, joke, poke, woke, yoke, broke, choke, smoke, stoke, stroke -ole dole, hole, mole, pole, role, stole, whole -ome dome, home, Nome, Rome, gnome, chrome -one bone, cone, hone, lone, tone, zone, clone, drone, phone, prone, shone, stone -ope cope, hope, lope, mope, nope, pope -ose hose, nose, pose, rose, chose, close, prose, those -ote note, quote, rote, vote, wrote -ove cove, wove, clove, drove, grove, stove, trove
Phonics Word Families with Long O sound spelled oa -oach coach, poach, roach, broach -oad goad, load, road, toad -oak oak, soak, cloak, croak -oal coal, foal, goal, shoal -oam foam, loam, roam -oan Joan, loan, moan, groan -oast boast, coast, roast, toast -oat boat, coat, goat, bloat, gloat, float
Phonics Word Families with more Long O Spellings -o go, so, no, pro -oe doe, foe, hoe, Joe, toe, woe -ogue brogue, rogue, vogue -old bold, cold, fold, gold, hold, mold, old, sold, told, scold -oll poll, roll, toll, droll, knoll, scroll, stroll -olt bolt, colt, jolt, molt, volt -ost host, most, post, ghost -ow bow, know, low, mow, row, sow, tow, blow, crow, flow, glow, grow, show, slow, snow, stow -own known, mown, sown, blown, flown, grown, shown
Phonics Word Families with Other o sounds
OR Sound -oar boar, roar, soar -oor poor, moor, spoor -orch porch, torch, scorch -ord cord, ford, lord, chord, sword -ore bore, core, fore, gore, more, pore, sore, tore, wore, chore, score, shore, snore, spore, store, swore -ork cork, fork, pork, York, stork -orm dorm, form, norm, storm -orn born, corn, horn, torn, worn, scorn, shorn, sworn, thorn -ort fort, port, sort, short, snort, sport
Phonics Word Families with OU Sound -ouch couch, ouch, pouch, vouch, crouch, grouch, slouch -oud loud, cloud, proud -ounce bounce, ounce, pounce, flounce, trounce -ound bound, found, hound, mound, pound, round, sound, wound, ground -our hour, sour, flour, scour -ouse douse, house, louse, mouse, blouse, grouse, spouse -out bout, gout, lout, out, pout, rout, tout, clout, grout, scout, shout, snout, spout, sprout, stout, trout -outh mouth, south -ow bow, cow, how, now, row, sow, vow, brow, chow, plow -owl fowl, howl, jowl, owl, growl, prowl, scowl -own down, gown, town, brown, clown, crown, drown, frown -owse browse
Phonics Word Families with Long OO spelled oo -oo boo, coo, goo, moo, too, woo, zoo, shoo -ood food, mood, brood -oof goof, roof, proof, spoof -ool cool, fool, pool, tool, drool, school, spool, stool -oom boom, doom, loom, room, zoom, bloom, broom, gloom, groom -oon coon, loon, moon, noon, soon, croon, spoon, swoon -oop coop, hoop, loop, droop, scoop, sloop, snoop, stoop, swoop, troop -oose goose, loose, moose, noose -oot boot, hoot, loot, root, toot, scoot, shoot
Phonic Word Families with Long OO sound spelled u (consonant) e -ude dude, nude, rude, crude, prude -uke duke, nuke, fluke -ume fume, plume -une June, tune, prune -use fuse, muse, ruse -ute cute, lute, mute, brute, flute -ue cue, due, hue, Sue, sue, blue, clue, flue, glue, true -ew dew, few, knew, new, pew, blew, brew, chew -o do, to, who -oup soup, croup, group
Phonics Word Families with the Short oo sound -ood good, hood, wood, stood -ook book, cook, hook, look, nook, took, brook, crook, shook -ould could, would, should -ull bull, full, pull
Phonics Word Families with OY Sound -oil boil, coil, foil, oil, soil, toil, spoil, broil -oin coin, join, loin, groin -oist hoist, joist, moist -oy boy, coy, joy, Roy, soy, toy, ploy
Phonics Word Families with Broad o sound
-oss boss, loss, moss, toss, cross -ost cost, lost, frost -oth moth, broth, cloth, froth -ought bought, fought, ought, sought, brought Phonics Word Families with Short u sound
-ub cub, dub, hub, nub, pub, rub, sub, tub, club, flub, grub, scrub, shrub, snub, stub -uck buck, duck, luck, muck, puck, suck, tuck, Chuck, cluck, pluck, shuck, stuck, struck, truck -ud bud, cud, dud, mud, spud, stud, thud -udge budge, fudge, judge, nudge, drudge, grudge, sludge, smudge, trudge -uff buff, cuff, huff, muff, puff, ruff, bluff, fluff, gruff, scuff, snuff, stuff -ug bug, dug, hug, jug, lug, mug, pug, rug, tug, chug, drug, plug, shrug, slug, smug, snug, thug -ulk bulk, hulk, sulk -ull cull, dull, gull, hull, lull, mull, skull -um bum, gum, hum, mum, sum, chum, drum, glum, plum, scum, slum, strum, swum -umb numb, crumb, plumb, thumb -ump bump, dump, hump, jump, lump, pump, rump, clump, frump, grump, plump, slump, stump, thump, trump -un bun, fun, gun, nun, pun, run, sun, shun, spun -unch hunch, lunch, munch, punch, brunch, crunch -ung hung, lung, rung, sung, clung, flung, slung, spring, stung, strung, swung, wrung -unk bunk, dunk, funk, hunk, junk, sunk, chunk, drunk, flunk, plunk, shrunk, skunk, slunk, spunk, stunk, trunk -unt bunt, hunt, punt, runt, blunt, grunt, shunt, stunt -up cup, pup -us bus, plus, thus -ush gush, hush, lush, mush, rush, blush, crush, flush, plush, slush, thrush -uss cuss, fuss, muss -ust bust, dust, gust, just, must, rust, crust, thrust, trust -ut but, cut, gut, hut, nut, rut, Tut, shut, strut -utch Dutch, hutch, clutch, crutch -utt mutt, putt -ome some -on son, ton, won -ough rough, tough -ove dove, love, glove, shove Phonics Word Families with ER Sound
-erge merge, serge, verge -erk jerk, clerk -erm berm, germ, term -ern fern, tern, stern -erve nerve, serve, swerve -ir fir, sir, stir, whir -ird bird, third -irk quirk, shirk, smirk -irt dirt, flirt, shirt, skirt -irth birth, girth -ur fur, blur, slur -url curl, furl -urn burn, turn, churn -urse curse, nurse, purse -urt curt, hurt, blurt, spurt I hope these lists of phonics word families are helpful to you and your children. Once a child trusts that when letters are in a certain pattern, they will make a certain sound, their reading fluency will increase. You can write silly sentences or poems with the words in the phonics word families, reading Dr. Suess books or other rhyming books will also be helpful in increasing fluency. There is also a matching game you can make for phonics word families. Write the beginnings and endings of words on index cards and then match them to make words. You can also write the entire word on an index card, cut it like a puzzle piece and then match the pieces together to make the phonics word families whole. Click here for activities to use with the words in these Phonics Word Families. Click here for other helpful word lists. Tell me about you ideas for Phonics Word Families!
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