Word Families

Word families are groups of words that have a common feature or pattern - they have some of
the same combinations 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.

Many of the nursery rhymes contain common word families. You can use these rhymes to teach
these letter combinations (and how they are spelled and spoken), having the students sound
them out after memorizing the rhyme. You can study one word family a week. Students can use
the Little Explorers Picture Dictionary to look for more words that belong to word families.

The following is a list of the most common word families in English (from Wylie and Durrell,
1970, plus a few extra word families) and examples of each.

Word Families
ack ad age ail ain ake ale all am ame an ank ap ar ash at
attack ad age ail brain awake ale all cam blame an bank cap afar ash at
back bad cage fail chain bake bale ball clam came ban blank clap bar bash bat
black brad engage hail complain brake dale call dam fame bran crank flap car brash brat
crack cad rage jail explain cake gale fall dram flame can dank gap czar cash cat
hack clad sage mail gain fake kale gall exam frame clan drank lap far clash chat
Jack dad stage nail grain flake male hall gram game Dan flank map gar crash fat
knack doodad wage pail main Jake pale install ham lame fan frank nap guitar dash flat
lack glad rail obtain lake sale mall jam name flan Hank rap jar flash gnat
pack had sail pain make scale small lam same Fran plank sap mar gash hat
quack lad snail plain quake stale squall ma'am shame Jan prank scrap par gnash mat
rack mad tail rain rake tale stall Pam tame Japan rank slap scar hash pat
sack pad wail slain sake whale tall ram man sank snap spar lash rat
snack sad Spain shake thrall Sam pan shrank strap star mash sat
stack sprain snake wall scam pecan spank tap tar rash slat
tack stain stake slam plan tank trap tsar sash spat
track strain take spam ran thank wrap slash tat
whack train wake swam scan yank yap smash that
Zack vain tam span zap splash vat
tram Stan stash
wham tan thrash
yam than trash
van
ate aw ay eat eel eep eet ell en ent est ice ick ide
abate caw away beat eel beep beet bell amen accent best dice brick bride
ate claw bay cheat feel creep feet cell Ben bent chest ice chick decide
crate draw bray cleat heel deep fleet dell children cent crest mice click glide
date flaw clay eat keel jeep greet dwell den dent jest nice flick hide
debate gnaw day feat kneel keep meet farewell fen event nest price kick pride
fate jaw decay greet peel peep sheet fell gentlemen gent pest rice lick ride
gate law delay heat reel seep sleet hell glen lent quest slice nick side
grate paw display meat steel sheep street sell Gwen rent rest spice pick slide
hate raw flay neat wheel sleep sweet shell hen scent test splice quick stride
Kate saw gay peat steep tweet smell men sent unrest thrice Rick tide
late slaw gray pleat sweep spell open spent vest twice sick wide
mate straw hay seat weep swell pen tent west vice slick
plate thaw jay treat tell then vent zest stick
rate lay wheat well ten went thick
relate may yell when tick
sate nay wren trick
skate okay yen wick
state pay
play
pray
quay
ray
relay
replay
say
slay
spray
stay
stray
sway
they
today
tray
way

ife ight ile ill in ine ing ink ip it oat ock og

fife bright bile bill bin brine bring blink blip admit boat block blog
knife delight file chill chin decline cling brink chip bit coat clock bog
life fight mile dill din define fling drink dip fit float cock catalog
strife flight Nile drill fin dine king fink drip flit gloat crock clog
wife fright pile fill gin fine ping ink flip grit goat dock cog
height rile frill grin line ring link grip hit oat flock dog
knight smile gill in mine sing mink hip it stoat frock fog
light stile grill kin nine sling pink lip kit throat hock frog
might tile hill pin pine spring rink nip knit jock hog
night vile ill shin shine sting shrink quip lit knock jog
 plight while Jill skin shrine string sink rip mit lock log
right kill sin sine swing stink ship pit mock slog
sight krill spin spine thing think sip quit o'clock smog
slight mill thin swine wing wink skip sit rock
tight pill tin tine wring slip skit shock
tonight quill twin twine zing snip slit smock
shrill win vine strip snit sock
sill within whine tip spit stock
skill wine trip split
spill whip twit
still zip wit
swill
thrill
thrill
till
trill
will
oil oke oo ood ood oof oof ook oom ool oon oop oot (long oot (short op
boil awoke boo good brood goof hoof book bloom cool balloon coop oo) oo) bop
broil bloke coo hood food proof woof brook boom drool goon droop boot foot chop
coil broke goo stood mood roof cook broom fool loon hoop hoot soot cop
foil choke igloo wood spoof crook doom pool moon loop scoot crop
oil joke moo hook gloom spool noon scoop shoot drop
soil poke shoo look groom stool soon snoop flop
spoil smoke too nook loom tool spoon stoop hop
toil spoke woo rook room swoon troop lop
stoke zoo shook zoom mop
stroke took plop
woke pop
yoke prop
sop
shop
stop
top
ore orn ot ought ould ouse out ow ow own uck ug ump un
bore adorn apricot bought could douse about (rhymes (rhymes brown buck bug bump bun
chore born blot brought should grouse bout with with crown chuck dug clump fun
core corn bot fought would house clout cow) low) down cluck hug dump gun
fore forlorn clot ought louse gout bow bow drown duck jug grump nun
gore horn cot sought mouse grout cow blow frown luck lug hump pun
lore morn dot thought spouse out chow crow gown muck mug jump run
more scorn forgot wrought lout how flow nightgown puck plug lump shu
ore shorn got pout now glow town pluck pug plump spu
pore thorn hot scout plow grow stuck rug pump stu
score torn jot shout sow low struck shrug rump sun
shore worn knot snout vow mow truck smug slump
sore lot spout wow row tuck snug stump
spore not stout show yuck thug thump
store plot tout slow tug trump
swore pot trout snow
tore rot sow
wore shot stow
yore slot throw
spot tow
tot
trot