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The -an word family
Printable list of -an family words · 1 page
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The -an family groups words that end in short a plus /n/: can, fan, man, pan, ran, tan and van, then plan, clan, scan, span, bran and than with blends and digraphs.
One thing to listen for: before n and m, the short a often sounds a little nasal, so -an doesn't sound exactly like the a in cat. That's how most Americans say it, and it's nothing to correct. Some programs (UFLI is one) teach this nasalized a as its own step for that reason.
Pair -an with -at once both are easy, so your child has to look at the last letter: can or cat? man or mat?
Tips for using it
- Contrast -an and -at pairs (fan, fat; pan, pat) so your child reads the final sound, not just the first.
- Can and ran are high-frequency words, so practice them until they're automatic.
Variations
All word families listQuestions
What words are in the -an family?
Can, fan, man, pan, ran, tan and van are the CVC words. Bran, clan, plan, scan, span and than add blends or a digraph.
Why does the a in -an sound different?
Vowels before n and m are nasalized in most American speech, which slightly changes the short a. It's still taught as short a.