Sight words

Sight words with a, i, o, o-e / ow / ou / u / oo; ea / ei / ie; ui,
   ch, ge/gi, –se, -ure and v,
   missing or misleading doubled consonants after short vowels,
   redundant letters, 102 words with more than one pronunciation
   and a few dozen assorted oddities.

Some of the above spellings, a for example, have so many exceptional pronunciations that all the words with them really have to be learnt as sight words (rather than by decoding). Such words are therefore listed together with common words in which they have a regular pronunciation.
* Words marked with an asterisk have more than one problem or variable pronunciation.

Young children's progress in reading is most impeded by 190 very common words which contain letters that are not pronounced in their usual way (to be found in the link).

A, able, advance, after, aghast, ah, almond, almost, also, altar, alter, alternative, always,

amble, ample, an, and, angle, answer, ant, antler, any, apple, April, apron, armada, ask, at,

await awake, award, aware, away, awe, awful, awkward, awning, axle, baffle, bag, bald,

ban, banana, band, bang, bash, bask, bastard, bat, bath, battle, black, blank, blast, bra,

brag, bramble, branch, brand, cable, cackle, calf, calm, camp, can, canal, candle, cap, cash,

cask, cast, caste, castle, cat catch, cattle, chalk, chance, chant, chasten, chastity, chat,

clam, clamp, clan, clang, clank, clap, clash, clasp, crab, crackle, craft, cramp, crank, crash, dab,

dabble, daft, dahlia, dam, damp, dance, dangle, dank, dappled, dazzle, disaster, drab, draft,

drag, drama, drank, dwarf, enhance, example, expanse, fable, fact, fad, falter, fan, fang,

fast, fasten, fat, father, flabbergast, flag, flan, flank, flap, flash, flask, flat, frank, gabble,

gable, gag, gala, gang, gash, gasp, ghastly, glad, glance, grab graft, gram, gran, grand,

graph, grapple, grasp, hack, had, half, halfpenny, halt, halve, ham, hand handle, hang,

hank, has, haste, hat, hatch, instalment, jab, jack, jam, jangle, khaki, la, lab, lack, lag, lamp,

lance, land, lap, lash, last, latch, lather, ma, mad, mama, man, mangle, many, map, mash,

mask, mass*, mast, mat, match, maths, pa, pack, pact, pad, paddle, palm, paltry, pan,

panorama, pants, papa, past, paste, pasty x 2 [paisty, pasty], pastry, pat, patch, path, patrol,

piano, plan, plank, plant, pram, prance, prank, prattle, psalm, pyjamas, quack, quadrangle,

qualify, quality, quantity, quarrel, quarry, quarter, quartz, quay, rack, raffle, raft, ramble,

ran, rang, rank, rascal, rash, rat, rather, rattle, reward, sack, sad, saddle, sag, salami, salt,

sand, sang sank, sap, sat, scald, scalp, scan, scramble, scrap, scratch, shaft, shah, shambles,

shrank, slack, slam, slang, slant, slap, slash, smack, smash, snack, snap, snatch, soprano, spa,

span, spangle, spank, spat, sprang, sprat, squabble, squad, squander, squash, squat, stab,

stable, stack, stag, stalk, stamp, stance, stand, straggle, strangle, strap, strata, swag,

swagger, swallow, swam, swamp, swan, swap, table, tack, tackle, tag, talk, tan, tangle,

tank, tap, task, tax, than, thank, that, thatch, thrash, track, tract, tram, tramp, trample, trance,

trap, twang, van, vast, waddle, waft, wag, wagon, walk, wallow, walnut, walrus, waltz,

wan, wand, wander, wangle, want, wanton, war, warble, ward, warm, warn, warp,

warrant, warren, warrior, wart, was, wash, wasp, watch, water, wattle, wax, yap, zap.

is particularly tricky for learners of standard UK English because in this accent it is often pronounced ah/ar; other pronunciation problems of the letter a affect all readers (when it is pronounced like ai in aim, au in haul, o in not, e in bed).

followed by two consonants is normally short (tint), but in a few words listed below it has a
long sound as in line

Align, behind, benign, bible – biblical, bind, blind, child, climb, consign, design, find,

grind, idle, indict, kind - kindle, kindred, mild, mind, ninth, pint, resign, rind, sign; rifle,

stifle, title, trifle - triple, whilst , wild - wilderness.

is often not as in spot.
It can sound like the u in cup, oa in toast, oo as in book or oo in boot and e as in herb

Among, block, blond, blot, bob, bog, bomb, bond, boss, both, bottle, box, brother, clock,

cobble, cock, cod, comfort, control, cop, cot, crop, cross, dock, dodge, dog, doll, don, dot, drop,

enrol, fishmonger, flock, flog, flop, fog, folk, fond, fox, frog, from, front, ghost, gloss, gobble,

god, goggle, golf, gong, got, gross, hobble, hog, hop, host, hot, job, jog, jostle, jot, lob, lock,

loft, log, long, lop, lot, mob, mock, Monday, mongrel, monk, monkey, month, mop, moss,

most, mother, nod, not, nothing, nozzle, off, on, once [wunce], only, other, ox, patrol, plot,

pod, pond, post, poster, pot, prod, prop, rob, rock, rod, roll, romp, rot, scroll, slog, slot,

smock, smother, snob, sob, sock, soft, solve, son, song, sponge, spot, stock, stop, stroll,

strong, sword, sworn, throttle, to*, today, tomb, ton, tongs, tongue, top, topple, toss, tot,

trod, troll, trot, whom, wobble, wolf, womb, won, wonder, word, work, world, worm,

worn, worry, worse, worship, worst, worth.

O-e

is often not as in bone, solo or so
(like u of cup, o of hot, short oo of wood, long oo of soon, er of her, i of bit)

Above, adolescence, alcove, alone, altogether, anemone [anemmony], antelope, approve,

arose, beloved, benevolent, bone, broke, choke, chose, chosen, close*, closet, clover,

code, colonel, colour, come, comedian, comedy, comet, component, compose,

composer, cone, cope, cove, covenant, cover, covet, covey, devote, discover,

discovery, dispose, doe, does, dole, dome, domestic, done, dose, dove, doze, dozen,

drone, drove, elope, envelope, expose, froze, frozen, globe, glove, goes, gone, govern,

grocer, grope, grovel, gruesome, handsome, hole, holey, home, honest, honey, hope,

hose, hover, impose, improve, insolence, insolent, joke, Joseph, lone, lonely, lose,

love, lozenge, mode, model, moderate*, modern, modest, mole, moment, monetary,

money, move, node, none, nose, note, novel, November, October, omelette, omen,

one [wun], open, opera, operate, operation, oven, over, phone, poke, pole, pope, pose,

postpone, poverty, primrose, process, procession, profession, professor, promenade,

promote, proper, property, propose, protein, prove, proven, proverb, pullover,

purpose, quote, recover, remote, rhinoceros, robe, rode, role, rope, rose, scone, scope,

shone, shove, shovel, slope, slovenly, smoke, sober, sole, solemn, some,

somersault, sovereign, spoke, spoken, stoke, stole, stolen, stone, stove, strode, stroke,

suppose, syndrome, tadpole, those, throne, together, tomorrow, token, tolerate, tone,

trombone, vote, whole, whose, woke, woman, women, wove, wrote, yodel, yoke, zone,

do, to, two, who.

can sound like o in so or ou in thou

Blow, blown, bow x 2 [bo/bou], bowl, brow, brown, brownie, browse, clown, cow,

coward, crow, crowd, crown, down, drown, drowse, eider-down, flow, flower, flown,

frown, glow, gown, grow, growl, grown, growth, how, howl, know, knowledge [nollege],

known, low, mow, mown, now, owe, owl, own, powder, power, prowl, row x 2 [ro/rou],

rowan, rowdy, scowl, show, shower, shown, slow, snow, sow x 2 [so, sou], sown,

stow, throw, thrown, tow, toward [tuward], towel, tower, town, vow, vowel, wow;

and 'allow' is not like 'shallow' or 'window' [shallo, windo].

is often not as in out,
with long oo of boot, aw of saw, o-e of sole, short oo of wood, u of cup,
o of for, e of her

Abound, about, account, acoustic, aloud , amount, announce, around, arouse, astound,

bivouac, blouse, bough*, bought, boulder, bounced, bound, boundary, bouquet,

boutique, brought, camouflage, choux, cloud, compound, couch, cough, could,

council, counsel, count, counter, country, county, coup [coo], couple, coupon, courage,

courier, course, court, courtesy, cousin, crouch, double, doubt, dough, douse,

drought, encounter, encourage, enough, favourite, flounder, flour, fought, foul, found,

foundation, fountain, four, fourth, ghoulish, ground, group, hiccough [hickup],

honour [onnor], hound, hour [our], house, journal, journey, loud, lounge, lout, mould,

moult, mound, mount, mountain, mourn, mouse, mousse, moustache, mouth,

neighbour, nought, nourish, ought, ounce, our, out, outer, plough, pouch, poultry,

pounce, pound, pour, pout, profound, pronounce, proud, rebound, resource, rough,

round, rouse, route, routine, savour, scoundrel, scout, should, shoulder, shout,

silhouette, slouch, slough x2 [sluf, slou], smoulder, snout, sought, soul, sound, soup,

sour, source, south, southern, souvenir, spout, sprout, stout, surround, tambourine,

thorough, thou, though, thought, thousand, through, toucan, touch, tough, tour,

tourist, tournament, trouble, trough, trousers, trout, voucher, would, wound x2

[wound/ woond], you, young, your.

is not as in cup but with the short oo sound of book, i of big and long oo of spoon

Bush, busy, butcher, cushion, pudding, push, put, shush, sugar, truth.

is also short, not long as in spoon, in:

Book, brook, cook, cookie, foot, good, hood, hook, look, rook, shook, stood, took,

understood, whoosh, wood, wooden, wool, woollen.

In blood, flood and brooch oo has other sounds [blud, flud, broach]

spells mostly ee. The other sound for it is mainly a short e, with a few exceptions,
as ai of air or train, silent in 'beauty', as a in art, eeya in 'linear' and eea in 'theatre'

Already, appeal, appear, area, beach, beacon, bead, beak, beam, bean, bear, beard,

beast, beat, beauty, beaver, beneath, bleach, bleak, bleat, bread, breadth, break,

breakfast, breast, breath, breathe, cease, cheap, cheat, clean, cleanliness, cleanse,

clear, colleague, conceal, congeal, creak, cream, crease, create, creature, dead, deaf,

deal, dealt, dean, dear, death, decrease, defeat, disease, dread, dream, dreamt,

dreary, each, eager, eagle, ear, earl, early, earn, earnest, earth, ease, Easter, east,

eat, eaves, endeavour, fear, feast, feat, feather, feature, flea, freak, gear, gleam,

glean, grease, great, head, heal, health, heap, hear, heard, heart, hearth, heat,

heath, heathen, heather, heave, heaven, heavy, hydrangea, increase, instead,

jealous, jeans, knead, laureate, leach, lead x 2 [leed, led], leaf, league, leak, lean, leant,

leap, leapt, learn, lease, leash, least, leather, leave, linear, meadow, meagre, meal,

mean, meant, measles, measure, meat, near, neat, nuclear, ordeal, pageant, peace,

peach, peak, peal, peanut, pear, pearl, peas, peasant, peat, pheasant, plea, plead,

pleasant, please, pleasure, pleat, preach, queasy, reach, read x 2 [leed, led], ready, real,

reality, really, realm, reap, rear, reason, rehearse, release, repeat, retreat, reveal,

scream, sea, seal, seam, sear, search, season, seat, sheaf, shear, sheath, smear, sneak,

speak, spear, spread, squeak, squeal, squeamish, steady, steak, steal, stealthy, steam,

streak, stream, swear, sweat, tea, teach, teak, team, tears x 2 [teers, tairs], tease,

theatre, thread, threat, treacherous, treacle, treadmill, treason, treasure, treat,

treaty, veal, weak, wealth, wean, weapon, wear, weary, weasel, weather, weave,

wheat, wreak, wreath, year, yearn, yeast, zeal, zealous.

spells ee, ai and several other sounds: e of bed, ie of tie, i of bit and ee-i

Ceiling, conceit, conceive, deceit, deceive, deign, eight, either*, Fahrenheit, feign, foreign,

forfeit, freight, heifer, height, heir, kaleidoscope, leisure*, neigh, neither*, protein,

receipt, receive, reign, reindeer, reinforce, reins, seize, sheikh, skein, sleigh, sleight,

sovereign, their, veil, vein, weigh, weight, weir, weird.

spells ee and several other sounds:
ie of tie, e of end, -ye of dryer, ee-ye, i of sit and je).

Achieve, alien, amplifier, ancient, anxiety, barrier, belief, believe, brief, carrier, cavalier,

chandelier, chief, client, conscience, convenient, crier, die, diesel, diet, field, fiend, fierce,

friend, frontier, glacier, glockenspiel, grief, grieve, handkerchief, hygiene, ingredient,

interview, lenient, lie, lieutenant [leftennant], medieval, mischief, movie, niece, obedient,

oriental, pannier, patient, pie, piece, pier, pierce, pliers, premier, priest, proprietor,

quiet, relief, relieve, review, science, series, shield, shriek, siege, sieve, society, soldier,

soviet, spaniel, species, thief, thieve, tie, tier, twentieth, variety, vie, view, wheelie, wield,

yield.

has several unpredictable pronunciations: short i, i-e, yoo, yoo-i/oo-i, oo, wi, wee.

Anguish, biscuit, bruise, build, built, circuit, cruise, disguise, distinguish, fluid, fruit,

genuine, guidance, guide, guillotine, guilt, guinea-pig, guitar, intuition, juice, nuisance,

penguin, pursuit, recruit, ruined, sluice, suicide, suit, suitable, suite, tuition.

is not always as in chat: k, sh and some other pronunciations

Ache, anchor, archaeology, architect, architecture, avalanche, bronchial, bronchitis,

chalet, chameleon, chamois, champagne, chaos, character, charade, chasm, chef,

chemical, chemistry, chivalrous, choir [quier], cholesterol, chorus, christen, Christmas,

chrysalis, chute, crochet, echo, lichen* [litchen or liken], machine, mechanical, mechanism,

microfiche, monarch, orchestra, orchid, parachute, psychology, richochet, schedule,

scheme, spinach [spinnage], stomach, technique, yacht [yot].

Ge, gi

and

have the sounds je and ji, as in gentle, ginger and gym.
In the words below the g is hard, as in gap and got.

Anger, bogey, eager, finger, fishmonger, forget, gear, geese, get, geyser,

hamburger, hunger, linger, target, tiger, together,

begin, corgi, giddy, gift, giggle, gild, gills, gilt, girder, girdle, girl, give, given,

forgive, longevity, longitude,

gymkhana.

-se

When this ending follows a vowel, it is pronounced mainly Z
(as in erase, cheese, rise, rose, fuse).
In the following words it has an S-sound:

Base, case, chase, purchase, cease, crease, grease, increase, release, geese, these,

practise, precise, premise, promise, tortoise, dose, goose, loose, noose, purpose,

douse, mouse.

Missing or misleading doubled consonants

One of the biggest problems in learning to read English is decoding vowel length.

Vowels followed by one consonant and another vowel, as in
game, legal, time, bone, tune,
are supposed to be long.

Short vowels in words of more than one syllable should be followed by a doubled consonant, as in
grammar, beggar, imminent, bonny, button, or ck and dge, as in chicken and badger,

This rule is often broken.

Many words with a short vowel have missing doubled consonants or other spellings
Sometimes the short vowels are spelt unpredictably too.

Cabinet, cabaret, cabin, elaborate, fabulous, habit, nebula, liberal, liberty, tribute,
probable, robin;

academy, vacuum, decade, executive, recognise, record (noun), second, secular, liquor,
liquorice, crocodile, documents;

adequate, radical, radish, already credit, dedicated, edible, edit, educate, federal,
medal, medical, meadow, pedal, pedigree, ready, steady, hideous, video, body,
modern, modest, produce (noun), study;

café, refuge, refuse (noun), heifer, magnificent, significant, profit,
agony, dragon, flagon, hexagonal, wagon, negative, brigand, frigate;

magic, tragic, legend, legislate, regiment, register, vegetable, pigeon, religion, rigid, logic;

analysis, balance, calendar, chalet, galaxy, italic, morality, palace, palate, palette,
reality, salad, salary, salon, talent, talon, valentine, valiant, valid, value, vitality, celery, delegate, delicacy, deluge, develop, element, eligible, helicopter, jealous, melody,
melon, pelican, relevant, relic, skeleton, telescope, zealous, ability, bilious, military, ventriloquist, polythene, cylinder, abolish, colony, column, demolish, holiday, olive,
knowledge, policy, politics, quality , solemn, solid, tolerate, volume , voluntary, colour;

amateur, camel, camera, damage, dynamic, enamel, famine, famished, laminate,
cemetery, chemical, democrat, emerald, epidemic, memory, remedy, lemon, feminine, premise, semi, criminal, eliminate, limit, timid, image, abominable, comet, comic,
dominate, domino, economic, prominent, promise, vomit;

animal, anorak, banish, banister, canopy, manage, manor, organic, panel, panic, spaniel, vanish, manual, benefit, any, enemy, energy, menace, many, penetrate, venison,
lieutenant, aluminium, cinema, clinical, cynical, synagogue, synonym, continue, finish,
linear, minimal, minister, minute*, opinion, sinister, spinach, vinegar, anonymous,
astonish, conifer, economy, electronic, mnemonic, monastery, monarch, monument,
supersonic, tonic, honey, money, onion;

capital, capitol, chapel, rapid, tapestry, epic, leper, tepid, separate, typical, copy, opera, operate, proper, property, topic, popular, tropics;

Arab, arable, arid, asparagus, baron, caramel, caravan, caricature, carol, chariot, charity, clarity, comparison, garage, parasol, parish, transparent, America, beret, bury, ceremony, cherish, derelict, herald, heritage, heroine, heron, merit, peril, perish, sincerity, sterilise, therapist, very, ,conspiracy, empirical, lyric, miracle, pyramid, spirit, syrup, tyranny, authority, coral, florist, forest, historic, horoscope, laurel, majority, minority, moral, orange, priority, quarantine, thorough, courage, nourish;

acid, capacity, pacifist, recipe, specify, specimen, decimal, chrysalis, electricity, explicit, municipal, participate, precipice, publicity, simplicity, solicitor, velocity, sausage;

atom, baton, catalogue, catapult, category, compatible, lateral, latitude, matinee,
platinum, platypus, satin, strategy, athletic, magnetic, metal, petal, tetanus, veteran,
yeti, competitive, analytic, British, citizen, city, critical, literally, obliterate, pity, botany;

hazard, hesitate, desert, designate, desolate, hesitate, present, president, resident,
lizard, miserable, prison, risen, scissors, visible, visit, wizard, wizened, closet, deposit,
lozenge, positive.

Some words have doubled consonants which do not follow a short, stressed vowel

They make words longer (and thereby automatically more difficult for beginners) and they undermine the reliability of doubled consonants that serve a phonic function, as in
accurate, daffodil, rebellious, comment, annual, opposite, tomorrow, professor, forgotten.
They also mislead inexperienced readers to place stress on the wrong syllable, instead of the vowel which carries it (underlined):

Accommodate, accommodation, accompany, accomplish, accord, accordion, account,
accumulate, accuse, accustom, occasion, occupation, occurrence, succumb,

affection, afford, paraffin, affair, affect, effect, efficient, differential, diffusion, offend, official, sufficient, chauffeur,

llama, parallel, really, excellent, hello, jewellery, marvellous, satellite, constellation, caterpillar, illegible, illiterate, illusion, illustration, illuminate, pastille, tonsillitis, collage, collapse, collect, collide,

ammunition, programme, immediate, immense, immortal, immune, command, commemorate, commence, commercial, commit, commodities, commotion, communication, communion, community, commuter, committee, recommend,

anniversary, announce, annoy, connect, personnel, mayonnaise, questionnaire,

appal, apparatus, apparent, appeal, appear, appendix, applaud, apply, appoint, appreciate, apprentice, approach, appropriate, approve, approximate, hippopotamus, opportunity, oppose, supply, support, suppose,

arrange, array, arrest, arrive, barricade, erratic, interrupt, serrated, terrific, irregular,
irrigation, torrential, correspond, correct, correlation, hurrah, curriculum, surrender, surround,

assail, assassin, assault , assemble, assert, assessment, assign, assist, associate, assort, assume, cassette, embassy, dessert, essential, necessary, possess, possibility,

battalion, tattoo, mattress, attach, attain, attempt, attend, attention, attorney, attract, attributed, omelette, palette, settee.

Words with v

nearly all pose problems in learning to read English, because this letter is usually not doubled after a short vowel (e.g. never) and a final –v is usually followed by –e, making it difficult to tell if a vowel before a v is long or short (gave – have) or which vowel is stressed (severe – several).
Os before Vs are especially tricky.

Above, alcove, alive, approve, arrive, avenue, average, aviary, aviation, avoid, behave, beloved, brave, cavalry, cave, cavern, cavity, chivalrous, civic, civil, civilian, clever, clover, cove, covenant, cover, covet, covey, crave, crevice, deliver, derive, devil, devise, devote, discover, divan, dive, dove, drive, drivel, driven, driver, drove, eleven, eve, even, event, ever, every, evict, evidence, evident, evil, evolution, evolve, fever, five, flavour, gave, give, given, glove, govern, governor, grave, gravel, gravity, gravy, grovel, have, havoc, hive, hover, improve, ivory, javelin, jive, jovial, juvenile, knave, lava, lavender, level, lever, live, lively, love, move, movie, naval, nave, navigate, navy, never, novel, November, novice, olive, oval, oven, over, pavement, pavilion, poverty, previous, private, privilege, prove, proverb, provide, quiver, rave, raven, ravenous, revive, rival, river, rivet, savage, save, scavenge, seven, several, severe, severity, shave, shiver, shove, shovel shrivel, slave, slovenly, snivel, sovereign, soviet, stove, survive, swivel, thrive, travel, wave, waver, wives, wove.

Words ending in –ture are usually stressed on the first syllable (fracture, furniture, nature),
apart from adventure, departure, expenditure, manufacture, mature.

Words ending in –ure have variable stress.

Assure, conjure, cure, endure, exposure, failure, figure, fissure, injure, insure, lure, manure,

measure, obscure, pleasure, pressure, procedure, procure, pure, secure, sure, treasure.

102 English words have different pronunciations in different contexts.
Most have just changes in stress; those with –ate endings change their vowel length too.

Lead, read, tear; bow, row, sow; abuse, excuse, use, close, house; mass bass;

buffet, live, minute, mouth, pasty, Polish/ polish, pussy, second, slough, wind, wound;

content, frequent, invalid, perfect, attribute, commune, compact, compound, concert, conduct, conflict, conscript, console, consort, construct, contest, contract, contrast, converse, convert, convict, defect, digest, discharge, entrance, escort, export, extract, fragment, impact, incense, insert, object, permit, present, produce, progress, project, prospect, protest, rebel, rebound, recall, record, refund, refuse, reject, relay, subject, survey, suspect, torment, transfer, transport;

advocate, alternate, appropriate, approximate, articulate, associate, co-ordinate, degenerate, delegate, deliberate, designate, desolate, dictate, duplicate, elaborate, estimate, graduate, intimate, laminate, moderate, separate, subordinate, syndicate, triplicate.

Redundant or silent letters also cause reading difficulties

Acquaint, acquire, acquit, adjacent, adjoin, adjust, aisle, anaesthetic, apostle, are, blue,

board, bogey, bristle , bruise, build, built, bustle, buy, bye, campaign, caught, clue,

coarse, composite, conscious, controlled, copse, corps, creosote, cruise, cupboard,

daughter, debris, debt, definite, dense, depot, determine, devalue, dialogue, diaphragm,

dumb, dungeon, dye, eclipse, elapse, else, empty, epilogue, exceed, excel, except,

excite, exhaust, exhibit , expense, exquisite, forgive, geese, genuine *, geyser*, ghastly,

ghost, give, given, glimpse, glisten, glue, gnarled, gnash, gnat, gnaw, gnu, gorse,

granite, gristle, guarantee, guard, haughty, hoarse, hustle, imagine, impulse, infinite,

intense, island, isle , jostle, juice, knack, knacker, knave, knee, knew, knickers, knife,

knight, knit, knob, knock, knot, knuckle, lapse, listen, live*, luncheon, luscious,

masculine, medicine, meringue, midday, mnemonic, mortgage, naughty, nestle,

nuisance , nurse, often , parliament, pharaoh, phlegm, pneumatic, proboscis, pseudonym,

pterodactyl, purchase, raspberry, response, reverse, rheumatism, rhubarb, rhyme,

rhythm , rinse, roller, rustle, rye, salmon, scholar, school, schooner, scissors, seven,

several, shepherd, slaughter, straight, subtle, suggest, suicide, suitable, surgeon,

suspense, swollen, scythe, taught, tense, thistle, tortoise , trestle , truncheon, verse,

vineyard, Wednesday, were, whack, whale, wharf, what, wheedle, wheel, wheeze, whelk,

when, whether, whey, which, while, whimper, whine, whip, whir, whirl, whisk, whiskers,

whiskey, whisky, whisper, whistle, white, whiz, why, wore, wrangle, wrap, wreck, wren,

wrench, wrestle, wretch, wriggle, wring, wrinkle, wrist, writ, write, writhe, written, wrong,

wrote, wrung, wry, yoghurt.

A few dozen more words have assorted reading problems

Said, says, plait; hi, hi-fi, prix, kiwi, ski; there, clerk, forehead, poignant, wrath, broad;
assault, aunt, Australia, because, cauliflower, chauffeur, draught, fault, gauge, hydraulic, laugh, laureate, laurel, mauve, restaurant, sausages, vault;
antique, cheque, conquer, croquet, liquor, liquorice, marquee, mosque, opaque, parquet,
picturesque, queue, quoit, turquoise, unique;
geography, geology, theology, jeopardy, leopard, people, leotard,
conscientious, convalesce, crescent, descend, disciple, discipline, fascinating, fascism, mollusc,
muscle, scene, scenery, scent, science.

The teaching of phonics is of limited use in English because identical letters often have different sounds, especially in words that children meet in their early reading. Among the 412 much used words listed below are 190 very common words which contain letters that are not pronounced in their usual way. They make the other 222 common words difficult to decode as well.

Table 1. The graphemes ea, o, o-e, ou, ow and oo are particularly unreliable.

Already beach beard beast beat beautiful bread break breakfast breath breathe
clean cream creature dead deaf dear dream dreamt each ear early earn earth
easy eat great head healthy hear heard heave heavy instead jealous jeans
leap leapt learned learnt least leave meadow mean meant measure meat near peach
peanut please reach read / read ready real scream sea seal search seat speak
spread steady tea teach tear / tear thread treasure wear year

Another block both box brother clock clop colour cot dog don't dot flop fog fox
front got hot job jog jot lock lost lots Monday most mother nod not nothing oh
once only other plop pop pot pots programme sock somersault son spots stop
strong tongue won won't worried worry

do go no so to into onto two who

Alone above broke bone choke come cone covered done drove gone home joke love
loved lovely money move over poke pole prove one rode rope some stone today
tomorrow

About blouse bought bounce brought cloud could country couple crouch double
enough famous fought found ground group house loud mountain mouse moustache
mouth ouch out pouch rough round should shoulder shout snout sound soup spout
thought thousand through touch tough trouble trousers without would you young
course court four favourite flour our sour your

Blow blown bow / bow brown clown cow crow crown down flown frown glow grow
growl grown how know known low mow mown now owl own row / row show
shown slow snow town wow

Balloon blood boo book boot coo cook door droopy flood floor food foot good
hook hoop hoot kangaroo look mood roof room root school shampoo shook
soon spoon too took tooth wood wool zoo

Table 2. In standard UK English, the sound of a also varies in 85 common words.

A after all an and answer any anyway asked at bad bag bananas band basket bath call calm camp can can't cash castle cat catch change chap chat clamp clap class crab crash dad dancing danger drag fall family fast father flag flap flat glad grab had half hand happy hat lamp lap last many mash match nasty pass past pat path quack rash sand sat scratch slam snatch splash stamp stranger strap tall than thank that trap wall wander want was wash watch water

Table 3. Five further inconsistencies impede reading progress in another 49 words.

The (cat, mat) - be he me she we – else uncle;
Every seven - even these here - there where – were;
Friend - field believe genie thief - lie pie tie;
Gave save – have travel live give - drive alive;
But cut dull gull hush rush - full pull push put.

Perhaps the following lay-out make the problem of identical letters with different pronunciations even clearer?

Regular pronunciation

Irregular pronunciation

beach beard beast beat breathe clean cream creature dear dream each ear easy eat hear heave jeans leap least leave mean meat near peach peanut please reach real scream sea seal seat speak tea teach year read tear
[38 words]

Already beautiful bread break breakfast breath dead deaf dreamt early earn earth great head healthy heard heavy instead jealous leapt learned learnt meadow meant measure ready search spread steady thread treasure wear
read tear

[34 words]

block box clock clop cot dog dot flop fog fox got hot job jog jot lock lost lots nod not plop pop pot pots sock spots stop strong

Another both brother colour don't front Monday most mother nothing oh once only other programme somersault son tongue won won't worried worry

Go no so
Alone broke bone choke cone drove home joke over poke pole rode rope stone

Do to into onto two who

above come covered done gone love lovely money move prove one some today tomorrow

About blouse bounce cloud crouch found ground house loud mountain mouse mouth ouch out pouch round shout snout sound spout thousand trousers without
flour our sour

Bought brought could country couple double enough famous fought group moustache rough should shoulder soup thought through touch tough trouble would you young course court four favourite your

Brown clown cow crown down frown growl how now owl town wow
bow row

Blow blown crow flown glow grow grown know known low mow mown own show shown slow snow
bow row

Balloon boo boot coo droopy food hoop hoot kangaroo mood roof room root school shampoo soon spoon too tooth zoo

[105 words]

Blood book cook door flood floor foot good hook look shook took wood wool

[105 words]

A at cat hat bad dad had bag sat pat lap an and can sand hand band camp lamp clamp stamp clap flap flat flag slam glad crab drag grab trap strap mash rash crash cash splash chap chat catch match snatch scratch than that thank quack happy family
[49 words]

After all answer any anyway asked bananas basket bath call calm can't castle change class dancing fall fast father half last many nasty pass past path tall wall wander want was wash watch water danger stranger

[36 wprds]

Alphabetic list of 2024 common words with reading problems

Above approve acoustic
ache achieve aisle
abuse adequate advocate alternate appropriate approximate articulate associate

advance aghast ah

abdomen ability able abolish abominable absolutely academy accommodate accommodation accompany accomplish accord accordion account accrue accumulate accuse accustom acid acquaint acquire acquit address adequate adjacent adjoin adjust advertisement advertising affair affect affection afford aggressive agony align alike alive all alliance allocation allotment allow ally almond almost alone along aloud already also altar alter alternative altogether aluminium aluminum always amateur America ammunition among amount amplifier anaesthetic analysis analytic anchor ancient anemone anger animal anniversary announce annoy anonymous anorak answer antique anxiety anxious any apostle appal apparatus apparent appeal appear appendix applaud apply appoint appreciate apprentice approach April apron aquatic Arab arable archaeology architect architecture are area arena arid armada around arouse arrange array arrest arrive as ask asparagus asphyxiate assail assassin assault assemble assert assessment assign assist assorted assume assure astonish astound athletic atom attach attain attempt attend attention attorney attract attributed aunt Australia authority avalanche avenue average aviary await awake awaken award aware away awe awful awkward awning

balance bald ball ballet ballistic balloon banana banish banister baron barricade barrier base bask bastard bath baton battalion beach beacon bead beak beam bean bear beard beast beat beauty beaver because begin behave behind belief believe beneath benefit benign beret bible bilious bind biscuit bivouac blast bleach bleak bleat blew blind blood blouse blow blown blue board body bogey book botany both bough bought boulder bounced bound boundary bouquet boutique bow bowl bra branch brass brave bread breadth break breakfast breast breath breathe brew brief bristle British broad bronchial bronchitis brooch brook brother brought brow brown brownie browse bruise buffet build built bull bullet bury bush bustle busy butcher buy bye

cabaret cabin cabinet cable cadet cafe calendar calf call calm camel camera camouflage campaign canal canoe canopy capacity capita capital capitol caramel caravan career caricature carol carrier case cask cassette cast caste castle catalogue catapult category caterpillar caught cauliflower cavalier cave cavern cease ceiling celery cello cemetery ceremony

chalet chalk chameleon chamois champagne chance chandelier chant chaos chapel character charade chariot charity chase chasm chasten chauffeur cheap cheat chef chemical chemistry cheque chequered cherish chief child chisel chivalrous choir cholesterol chorus choux christen Christmas chrysalis chute

cigarette cinema circuit citizen city clarity clasp class clean cleanliness cleanse clear clerk clever client climb clinical close closet cloud clover clown clue coarse cognac coincide collage collapse colleague collect collide colonel colony colour column comb come comet comfort comic

command commemorate commence commercial commit committee commodities commotion communication communion community commuter

comparison compass compatible competitive composite compound conceal conceit conceive concert conclude conduct conflict congeal conifer conjure connect conquer conscience conscious conscript consign consort conspiracy constellation content contest continue contract contrast convenient converse convert convey convict cook cookie co-ordinate copse copy coral corgi corps correct correlation correspond couch cough could council counsel count counter country county coup couple coupon courage courier course court courtesy cousin cove covenant cover covet covey cow coward craft crave creak cream crease create creature credit crevice crier criminal critical crochet crocodile croquet crouch crow crowd crown cruise crusade cuckoo cupboard curlew curriculum cushion cycle cyclical cyclone cylinder cynical cypress

daft dahlia damage dance daughter dead deaf deal dealt dean dear death debris debt decade deceit deceive decimal decrease dedicated defeat definite defy degenerate deign delegate deliberate delicacy deluge democrat demolish dense deny departure deposit depot derelict derive desert design designate desolate dessert determine devalue develop dialogue diaphragm die diesel diet differential diffusion digest dilute disaster discipline disease dive divert documents doe does doll dominate domino done door dose double doubt dough douse dove down dozen draft dragon drama draught dread dream dreamt dreary drive drivel driven drought drove drown drowse dumb dungarees duplicate duvet dwarf dye dynamic

each eager eagle ear earl early earn earnest earth ease east Easter eat eaves echo eclipse economic economy edible edit educate effect efficient eider-down eight either elaborate elapse electricity electronic element eligible eliminate else embassy emerald empirical empty emu enamel encounter encourage endeavour endure enemy energy engrave enhance enough epic epidemic epilogue equal erratic essential estimate eucalyptus eve even ever exaggerate example exceed excel excellent except excess excite exclude excuse executive exhaust exhibit exhibition expanse expenditure expense explicit exposure exquisite eye

fable fabulous Fahrenheit failure fall fallen falter famine famished fascist fast fasten father fatigue fault favourite fear feast feat feather feature federal feign feminine fete fever field fiend fierce figure find finger finish fishmonger fissure five flabbergast flagon flask flea flood floor florist flounder flour flow flower flown flu flue fluent fluid fluke flute folk foot foreign forest forfeit forget forgive forward fought foul found foundation fountain four fourth freak freight frequent friend frigate front frontier frown fruit full

gable gala galaxy gall garage gasp gauge gave gear geese genuine get geyser ghastly ghost ghoulish giddy gift giggle gild gills gilt giraffe girder girdle girl give given glacier glance glass gleam glean glimpse glisten glockenspiel glove glow glue gnarled gnash gnat gnaw gnome gnu goes gone good goose gorse govern gown graduate graft granite graph grasp grass grave gravel grease great grey grief grieve grind gristle gross ground group grovel grow growl grown growth gruesome guarantee guard

habit half halfpenny hall halt halve hamburger handkerchief handsome has hasten haughty have hazard head heal health heap hear heard heart hearth heat heath heathen heather heave heaven heavy heifer height heir helicopter hello herald heritage heroic heroine heron hesitate hexagonal hey hi! hiccough hideous hi-fi hippopotamus his historic hive hoarse holiday honest honey honour hood hook horoscope horse host hound hour house hover how howl hunger hurrah hustle hydrangea hydraulic hydrogen hygiene hygrometer

illegible illiterate illuminate illusion illustration image imagine immediate immense immortal immune imply improve impulse include increase indict infinite influence ingredient injure install installation instalment instead insure intense interrupt interview intimate intuition irregular irrigation island isle italic

javelin jealous jeans jeopardy jewellery jive jostle journal journey juice July

kaleidoscope karate khaki kind kiosk kiwi knack knacker knave knead knee knew knickers knife knight knit knob knock knot know knowledge known knuckle

la lacquer laminate lance lapse lasso last lateral lather latitude laugh laureate laurel leach lead leaf league leak lean leant leap leapt learn lease leash least leather leave legend legislate leisure lemon lenient lens leopard leotard leper lettuce level lever lewd liberal liberty license lichen lie lieutenant limit linear linger liquor liquorice listen literally live lively lizard llama logic longevity longitude look loose loud lounge lout love low lozenge lubricate ludo lukewarm luminous lunar lunatic lure luscious lyric

ma machine magic magnetic magnificent majority mama manage manor manual manufacture manure many marquee Mars marvellous masculine mask mass mast matinee mattress mature mauve mayonnaise meadow meagre meal mean meant measles measure meat mechanical mechanism medal medical medicine medieval melody melon memory menace meringue merit metal miaow microfiche midday mild military mind minimal minister minority minute miracle mischief miserable mnemonic model moderate modern modest monarch monastery Monday money monger mongrel monk monkey month monument moral morality mortgage mosque mosquito most mother mould moult mound mount mountain mourn mouse mousse moustache mouth move movie mow mown multiply municipal

naughty nave near neat nebula necessary negative neigh neighbour neither nestle never niece ninth none noose nothing nought nourish novel now nuclear nuisance nurse

oasis obedient obey object obliterate obscure occasion occupation occupy occurrence offend official often olive omelette once one onion only opaque opera operate opinion opportunity oppose opposite orange orchestra orchid ordeal organic oriental other ought ounce our out outer oven over overwhelm owe owl own oxygen

pa pacifist pageant palace palate palette pall palm paltry panel panic pannier panorama papa parachute paraffin parallel parasol parish parliament parquet participate pass past pastille pastry path patient patrol pavement peace peach peak peal peanut pear pearl peas peasant peat pedal pedigree pelican penetrate people peril perish personnel petal pharaoh pheasant phlegm physical physics physiology piano picturesque pie piece pier pierce

pigeon pigsty pint pity plague plait plant platinum platypus plea plead pleasant please pleasure pleat pliers plough plumage plural Pluto pneumatic poignant policy politics polythene popular

positive possess possibility post poster pouch poultry pounce pound pour pout poverty powder power practise prance preach precipice precise premier premise present president pressure priest priority prison prix probable probe procedure procure produce profit profound programme promenade prominent promise pronounce proper property proprietor protein proud prove prowl psalm pseudonym psychology pterodactyl publicity pudding pull purchase purpose pursuit push puss put pyjamas pyramid

quack quadrangle qualify quality quantity quarantine quarrel quarry quarter quartz quay queasy questionnaire queue quiet quiver quoit

radical radish raft rapid rascal raspberry rather rave raven ravenous reach read ready real reality really realm reap rear reason rebound recall receipt receive recipe recognise recommend record recruit refuge refuse regiment register rehearse reign reindeer reinforce reins reject release relevant relic relief relieve religion rely remedy repeat reply reservoir resident resign resolution resource response restaurant retreat reveal reverse review revive revolution reward

rheumatism rhinoceros rhododendron rhubarb rhyme rhythm

ricochet rifle rigid rind rinse risen river rivet robin rogue rook rough round rouse route routine row rowan rowdy ruin rustle rye

said salad salami salary salmon salon salt salute sapphire satellite satin sausage save savour says scald schedule scheme scholar school schooner science scone scoundrel scout scowl scream sea seal seam sear search season seat seclude second secular secure seize semi separate series serrated serviette settee seven several sew sewn shaft shah shall shave sheaf

shear sheath sheikh shepherd shield shiver shone shook should shoulder shout shove shovel show shower shown shriek shrivel shush siege sieve sign significant silhouette simile simplicity sincerity sinister skein

skeleton slant slaughter slave sleigh sleight slew slouch slough slovenly slow sluice small smear smother smoulder sneak snivel snout snow soccer society soldier solemn solicitor solid solution some somersault son soprano sough sought soul sound soup sour source south southern souvenir sovereign soviet sow sown spa spaniel speak spear species specify specimen spinach spirit sponge spout spread sprout squabble squad squall squander squash squat squeak squeal squeamish stable staff stalk stall stance steady steak steal stealthy steam sterilise steward stifle stomach stood stout stove stow straight strata strategy streak stream study subtle succumb sufficient sugar suggest suicide suit suitable suite supersonic supply support suppose sure surrender surround survey survive suspect suspense swag swagger swallow swam swamp swan swap swear sweat swivel sword swore sworn synagogue syndicate synonym synopsis syringe syrup

table talent talk tall talon tambourine tapestry target task tattoo taught tea teach teak team tear tease technique telescope tense tepid terrific tetanus

theatre their therapist there these they thief thieve thistle thorough thou though thought thousand thread threat thrive through throw thrown

tie tier tiger timid to today together tolerate tomb tomorrow ton tongue tonic tonsillitis took topic torrential tortoise toucan touch tough tour tourist tournament tow toward towel tower town tragic trance transparent travel treacherous treacle treadmill treason treasure treat treaty
trestle tribute trifle trio triple tropics trouble trough trousers trout truncheon truth tuition turquoise twang twentieth two type typical tyranny tyrant

unique universe upon upward use

vacuum valentine valet valiant valid value vanish variety vast vault veal vegetable veil vein velocity venison ventriloquist verse very veteran video vie view vinegar vineyard visible visit vitality volume voluntary vomit voucher vow vowel

waddle waft wag wagon walk wall wallaby wallet wallop wallow walnut walrus waltz wan wand wander wangle want wanton war warble ward warm warn warp warrant warren warrior wart was wash wasp watch water watt wattle wave waver wax

weak wealth wean weapon wear weary weasel weather weave Wednesday weigh weight weir weird were

whack whale wharf what wheat wheedle wheel wheelie wheeze whelk when where whether whey which whiff while whilst whimper whine whip whir whirl whisk whiskers whiskey whisky whisper whistle white whiz who whole whom whooping whoosh whose why

wield wild wind wives wizard wizened wolf woman womb women won wonder wood wooden wool woollen word wore work world worm worn worry worse worship worst worth would wound wove wow

wrangle wrap wrath wreak wreath wreck wren wrench wrestle wretch wriggle wring wrinkle wrist writ write writhe written wrong wrote wrung wry

yacht yak year yearn yeast yes yeti yield yoghurt you young your

zeal zealous zulu

mashabell@aol.com

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