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Word families list
Printable list of word family words · 8 pages
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A word family is a group of words that share the same ending chunk, called a rime: cat, hat and flat are all in the -at family. Learn the chunk once, and you can read the whole family by changing the first sound.
This list is built on a famous set of 37 rimes published by Richard Wylie and Donald Durrell in 1970: -ack, -ain, -ake, -ale, -all, -ame, -an, -ank, -ap, -ash, -at, -ate, -aw, -ay, -eat, -ell, -est, -ice, -ick, -ide, -ight, -ill, -in, -ine, -ing, -ink, -ip, -it, -ock, -oke, -op, -ore, -ot, -uck, -ug, -ump and -unk. They found these few rimes are the basis of nearly 500 words in early reading, which is why they show up in so many classrooms. Our list gives about 400 decodable words across all 37.
Word families are a support, not a shortcut. Children still need to blend sound by sound, so mix family practice with sorts and missing-letter sheets that make them look at every letter.
Tips for using it
- Teach one family at a time, then mix two with the same vowel (-at and -ap) so your child must look at the ending.
- Build words with letter tiles: keep the rime and swap the first letter.
Variations
All word lists for kidsQuestions
What is a word family?
A group of words with the same rime (the vowel and what follows), like -ig in big, dig, pig and twig.
What are the 37 most common rimes?
Wylie and Durrell's 1970 list: -ack, -ain, -ake, -ale, -all, -ame, -an, -ank, -ap, -ash, -at, -ate, -aw, -ay, -eat, -ell, -est, -ice, -ick, -ide, -ight, -ill, -in, -ine, -ing, -ink, -ip, -it, -ock, -oke, -op, -ore, -ot, -uck, -ug, -ump and -unk.
Should word families replace phonics?
No. Reading research supports teaching children to blend every sound. Word families help with spotting chunks, but they work best alongside systematic phonics, not instead of it.