Phonics Words to Practise, Sound by Sound
These lists follow the order most phonics programmes teach. Start with the first list your child can't yet read smoothly, read five words a day, and move on only when they blend without guessing.
- CVC words
- Digraphs
- Blends
- Vowel teams
- Tricky words
Stage 1: first sounds (s, a, t, p, i, n)
Made only from the first six sounds taught in Jolly Phonics.
- sat, pat, tap, nap, sap
- pin, tin, sit, tip, nip
- ant, pan, tan, spin, snap
Stage 2: CVC words (consonant–vowel–consonant)
- short a: cat, map, bag, jam, van
- short e: bed, hen, pet, leg, web
- short i: big, fin, lip, six, zip
- short o: dog, pot, log, box, hop
- short u: sun, cup, bus, rug, mud
Stage 3: consonant digraphs (two letters, one sound)
- sh: ship, shop, fish, dish, shell
- ch: chip, chin, much, rich, chop
- th: this, that, thin, bath, moth
- ck: duck, sock, back, kick, neck
- ng: ring, sing, long, king, bang
Stage 4: blends (each sound still heard)
- start blends: frog, stop, clap, drum, swim
- end blends: lamp, hand, milk, nest, jump
- three-letter: strap, splash, scrub, spring
Stage 5: long vowel teams
- ai / ay: rain, tail, play, day, train
- ee / ea: tree, feet, seat, leaf, team
- oa / ow: boat, coat, snow, grow, road
- ie / igh: pie, tie, light, night, high
- ue / oo: blue, glue, moon, food, spoon
Stage 6: split digraphs (magic e)
- a-e: cake, name, gate, plane
- i-e: bike, time, kite, slide
- o-e: home, rope, bone, stone
- u-e: cube, tube, flute, June
Tricky words (learn by sight)
These common words don't follow the usual rules, so children learn them as whole words.
- the, I, he, she, me, we, be
- was, to, do, are, all, you
- said, have, like, some, come, were, there
How to practise at home
- Say the sounds, not letter names: /c/ /a/ /t/, not 'see-ay-tee'
- Point under each sound as your child says it, then sweep your finger to blend
- If your child is stuck, say the sounds faster together rather than giving the word
- Stop after five minutes while it's still fun
Frequently asked questions
What are CVC words?
Three-letter words made of a consonant, a short vowel and a consonant, such as cat, dog and sun. They are usually the first words children blend.
How many phonics words should my child read a day?
Five to ten words in a short, happy session is plenty; repetition over days matters more than quantity.