Word Families

Word Families are groups of words that have a common feature or pattern – they have some of the same combination of letters in them and a similar sound. For example, at, cat, hat, and fat are a family of words with the “at” sound and letter combination in common. The 37 most common word families in English (according to Wylie and Durrell) are: 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, unk. Practicing your Word Families will help you to become a fluent reader!

Word Families

at at bat brat cat chat fat flat hat mat pat rat sat that vat gnat drat scat slat splat spat that

an an ban bran can clan Dan fan Fran Pam pan man tan flan scan span than

it bit fit grit hit it kit lit pit quit sit wit knit quit skit spit

ig big dig fig gig jig pig rig wig wiz zig

in bin din grin in kin pin shin spin thin tin win

ox box fox lox pox sox

en Ben den hen men pen ten wren zen

et bet get jet let met net pet set vet wet

ut but cut gut hut mutt nut putt rut

ug bug dug hug jug lug mug put rug tug

ee bee beep fee feel knee lee see tee wee flee free glee tree jeep feed keep see seed need weed sleep speed

ea beach bead beak bean bleach deal each heal leach meal pea peach sea seal tea teal flea plea veal steal

ai bail brain chain drain fail Gail grain hail jail lain mail main nail pain plain pail rail sail tail Spain sprain train

ay bay day gay hay jay lay may nay say way bray clay fray gray play pray slay spray stay sway tray

ie die fie lie pie tie vie ties cries dries flies fries skies tries

igh high nigh sigh thigh knight light might night right sight tight blight bright

ou bounce bound couch cloud crouch house loud flounce found mound mouse pounce pouch pound proud round sound south scout spouse

ow bow cow how now row sow vow brow chow plow prow scow fowl howl jowl growl prowl scowl down gown clown down drown frown