Learning to read
The word lists below can be used for teaching the basic sounds of a, e, i, o and u combined with consonants, as in
bag, cat, dad, bed, fun, hat, jam, kit, lid, mum, pop, red, sun, vet, wet,
box, yes, zip; chat, catch, shop, this thing, quick, tickle, little
and the patterns for the long vowels, blends with r and the SH sound in word endings.
The basic English phonic system is also set out in Masha Bell's reading course in a single book
LEARNING TO READ published May 2007.
Over 2000 common English words contain some letters which are not pronounced in their usual way and have to be learned as sight words. These are listed separately.
Short a
|
a |
clang |
flag |
lab |
sad |
tag |
than |
shrank |
black |
apple |
amble |
|
an |
clank |
flan |
lag |
sag |
tan |
thank |
|
hack |
baffle |
ample |
|
at |
clap |
flap |
lap |
sap |
tap |
that |
bash |
jack |
battle |
angle |
|
and |
|
flat |
lamp |
sat |
tax |
|
cash |
lack |
cackle |
antler |
|
ant |
crab |
frank |
land |
sand |
|
thatch |
clash |
pack |
cattle |
axle |
|
|
cramp |
|
|
sang |
tank |
thrash |
crash |
rack |
crackle |
bramble |
|
bad |
crank |
|
mad |
sank |
tract |
maths |
flash |
sack |
dabble |
candle |
|
bag |
|
gag |
man |
|
tram |
|
gash |
slack |
dappled |
dangle |
|
ban |
dab |
gang |
map |
scalp |
tramp |
|
lash |
smack |
dazzle |
handle |
|
bat |
dad |
glad |
mat |
scrap |
trap |
chat |
mash |
snack |
gabble |
jangle |
|
band |
dam |
grab |
|
slam |
twang |
|
rash |
stack |
grapple |
mangle |
|
bang |
damp |
gram |
pad |
slang |
|
catch |
sash |
tack |
paddle |
ramble |
|
blank |
dank |
gran |
pan |
slap |
van |
hatch |
slash |
track |
prattle |
scramble |
|
brag |
|
grand |
pat |
snap |
|
latch |
smash |
|
raffle |
shambles |
|
brand |
drab |
|
pact |
span |
wag |
latch |
|
|
rattle |
spangle |
|
|
drag |
had |
pants |
spat |
wax |
match |
|
|
saddle |
strangle |
|
can |
drank |
ham |
plan |
sprang |
|
patch |
|
|
straggle |
tangle |
|
cap |
|
has |
plank |
sprat |
yak |
scratch |
|
|
tackle |
trample |
|
cat |
fad |
hat |
pram |
stab |
yap |
snatch |
|
|
|
wangle |
|
camp |
fan |
hand |
prank |
stag |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
clam |
fat |
hang |
|
stamp |
zap |
|
|
|
|
|
|
clamp |
fact |
|
ran |
stand |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
clan |
fang |
jab |
rat |
strap |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
jam |
rang |
swam |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Short e
|
|
elf |
dent |
hem |
left |
net |
set |
tell |
vent |
check |
the |
deck |
|
|
elm |
desk |
hen |
lend |
nest |
sell |
tempt |
vest |
chess |
them |
neck |
|
|
end |
dress |
held |
lens |
next |
send |
ten |
vet |
chest |
then |
peck |
|
|
|
dwelt |
hell |
lent |
|
sent |
tend |
vex |
bench |
|
speck |
|
|
bed |
|
helm |
less |
peg |
|
tense |
|
clench |
theft |
speckled |
|
|
beg |
fed |
help |
|
pen |
slept |
tent |
never |
drench |
|
|
|
|
bet |
fell |
hence |
men |
pet |
smell |
test |
|
stench |
|
kettle |
|
|
belt |
felt |
|
met |
pelt |
sped |
text |
web |
trench |
|
nettle |
|
|
bend |
fence |
jet |
|
press |
spell |
trend |
weld |
sketch |
|
pebble |
|
|
bent |
fend |
jest |
melt |
|
spelt |
|
well |
stretch |
|
settle |
|
|
best |
fled |
|
mend |
red |
spend |
|
went |
|
|
temple |
|
|
bled |
flex |
kept |
mess |
rent |
spent |
|
wept |
shed |
|
|
|
|
blend |
fret |
|
|
rest |
stem |
|
west |
shelf |
|
dredge |
|
|
bless |
|
led |
|
|
step |
|
|
shell |
|
edge |
|
|
bred |
|
leg |
|
|
stress |
|
|
shred |
|
hedge |
|
|
|
|
let |
|
|
swell |
|
|
flesh |
|
ledge |
|
|
crept |
|
|
|
|
swept |
|
|
fresh |
|
sledge |
|
|
crest |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Short i
|
|
ill |
fill |
jig |
pig |
slid |
till |
|
chip |
thin |
cripple |
crinkle |
cringe |
|
|
in |
film |
jilt |
pills |
slim |
tilt |
|
finch |
thing |
dribble |
dimple |
fridge |
|
|
inn |
fin |
|
pin |
sling |
tin |
|
flinch |
think |
drizzle |
dwindle |
fringe |
|
|
is |
fist |
kid |
pink |
slink |
tint |
|
inch |
thrift |
fiddle |
jingle |
hinge |
|
|
it |
fit |
kill |
pip |
slip |
tip |
|
pinch |
thrill |
giggle |
kindle |
ridge |
|
|
its |
fix |
kiln |
|
slit |
trim |
|
winch |
|
grizzle |
mingle |
singe |
|
|
|
fling |
kilt |
picnic |
|
trip |
|
chin |
fifth |
little |
nimble |
tinge |
|
|
bid |
flint |
kin |
|
snip |
twig |
|
chink |
filth |
middle |
pimple |
twinge |
|
|
big |
flip |
king |
rib |
spill |
twin |
|
chintz |
pith |
nibble |
shingle |
|
|
|
bin |
flit |
kink |
rid |
spilt |
twist |
|
|
width |
quibble |
swindle |
|
|
|
bit |
frisk |
kiss |
rig |
spin |
|
|
rich |
with |
riddle |
thimble |
|
|
|
blink |
|
|
rim |
spit |
will |
|
ditch |
|
ripple |
tingle |
|
|
|
brim |
gift |
lid |
ring |
split |
win |
|
hitch |
brick |
scribble |
tinkle |
|
|
|
bring |
gild |
lift |
rip |
spring |
wind |
|
itch |
click |
sizzle |
twinkle |
|
|
|
brisk |
gills |
limp |
risk |
sprint |
wing |
|
pitch |
flick |
skittle |
winkle |
|
|
|
|
gilt |
link |
|
squint |
wink |
|
stitch |
kick |
sniffle |
|
|
|
|
cling |
glint |
lip |
silk |
stiff |
wit |
|
switch |
nick |
tipple |
|
|
|
|
clink |
grill |
list |
sin |
still |
|
|
twitch |
pick |
twiddle |
gristle |
|
|
|
clip |
grim |
lit |
sing |
stilts |
zinc |
|
witch |
prick |
wiggle |
|
|
|
|
crib |
grin |
|
sink |
sting |
zip |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
crisps |
grip |
milk |
sip |
strict |
|
|
shift |
sick |
quick |
|
|
|
|
|
grit |
mill |
sit |
string |
|
|
shin |
slick |
|
|
|
|
|
did |
|
mink |
six |
strip |
|
|
ship |
stick |
quilt |
|
|
|
|
dig |
hid |
mint |
|
swift |
|
|
shrill |
thick |
quit |
|
|
|
|
dim |
hill |
miss |
skid |
swim |
|
|
shrimp |
tick |
|
|
|
|
|
dip |
him |
mist |
skill |
swing |
|
|
shrink |
trick |
|
|
|
|
|
disk |
hint |
mix |
skim |
|
|
|
|
pickle |
|
|
|
|
|
drift |
hip |
|
skin |
|
|
|
dish |
tickle |
|
|
|
|
|
drink |
his |
|