The ot word family: -ot words list
Cot, dot, hot, lot, not and pot all end in -ot, one of the biggest short o families. Hear every word, from spot and knot to robot and apricot, and play the game.
Ot family words list (26 words)
Tap a word to hear it.
CVC -ot words
-ot words with blends and silent letters
Longer words ending in -ot
Ot family words game: listen and find
Hear a word from the list and pick it from four look-alike words. Eight rounds, about two minutes.
Ot family words spelling game: build the word
Hear a word and build it from letter tiles, one sound at a time. Letter pairs like sh or ck come as one tile, because they spell one sound. Six rounds.
Short answer
What is the ot word family?
The ot word family is the group of words that end in the rime -ot, the short o sound followed by t, as in dot, hot, lot, not and pot. Children read them by blending the first sound onto -ot: h + ot, hot. The family also includes blends such as plot, slot, spot and trot, the silent-k word knot, and longer words such as robot, forgot, teapot and apricot.
- The rime -ot is short o followed by /t/, as in hot.
- With ten common three-letter words, -ot is one of the largest CVC word families.
- Knot and not sound the same; the k in knot is silent.
- Adding a silent e makes long o words: not becomes note and rot becomes rote.
About ot family words
The -ot rime is short o followed by a crisp /t/. In General American English the short o is an open ah, as in father, so hot and pot sound like hah-t and pah-t with a short, clipped vowel. It is one of the largest CVC families, with ten common three-letter words, which gives plenty of practice before any blends appear.
Two words in this family deserve a special mention. Not and got are among the most common words in children's books, so reading them fluently pays off quickly. Knot sounds exactly like not but starts with a silent k, which makes the pair a good way to talk about words that sound the same but are spelled differently.
The longer words show -ot in different positions. Robot, mascot and apricot carry the -ot in their last syllable; forgot and cannot are everyday words children will soon need for writing; teapot, sunspot and flowerpot are compound words. Watch for carrot and parrot: they end in -ot but the vowel in the last syllable is weak, so they are left off this list.
Ot family words in sentences
Decodable sentences: every word can be sounded out with the patterns on this page, plus a few very common words.
- The pot is hot.
- I got a lot of dots.
- Do not trot on the spot.
- Tie a knot in the rope.
- The robot has a red dot.
- I forgot the teapot!
- Put the apricot in the pot.
- The tot is on the cot.
Common mix-ups with ot family words
-ot and -at (hot and hat)
Hot/hat, pot/pat and cot/cat differ only by the vowel. In American English short o and short a are both open sounds, so say them slowly and let your child see your jaw drop lower for o.
Not and knot
They sound the same, but knot has a silent k. Explain that some words keep old letters that are no longer said, and underline kn so your child knows to expect it.
-ot and -ote (not and note)
A silent e changes short o to long o. Write not, add an e, read note. Cover and uncover the e so your child checks the end of the word every time.
Ot family words activities
Dot to dot
Draw large dots on a page and write an -ot word next to each. Your child reads a word, then draws a line to the next dot. The finished shape is the reward.
Hot potato
Pass a soft ball around while music plays. When the music stops, whoever holds the ball reads the next -ot word card. Short turns keep everyone reading and listening.
Knot the rope
Tie a knot in a piece of string for every -ot word your child reads correctly. At the end, untie the knots one by one while rereading the words.
Spot the family
Give your child a short, simple book and a highlighter or sticky dots. They hunt for -ot words on each page, mark them, and read them aloud.
Ot family words: frequently asked questions
What words are in the ot word family?
Cot, dot, got, hot, jot, lot, not, pot, rot and tot are the three-letter ones. Longer -ot words include blot, knot, plot, slot, spot, trot, robot, forgot, teapot and apricot.
Is got a sight word?
Got is very common and appears on many high-frequency lists, but it follows the -ot pattern exactly: /g/ /o/ /t/. Children can sound it out.
Are carrot and parrot in the ot family?
They are spelled with -ot at the end, but the last syllable is unstressed, so the vowel sounds weak rather than like hot. They are better taught later with other two-syllable words.
Which should I teach first, -ot or -op?
Either works. -ot has more three-letter words, which gives more practice at the CVC level, so many teachers start there and then add -op.
Practise next
- Op family wordsHop, mop, pop and top are the first -op words, and stop, shop and lollipop follow. Hear every word in the family, read the sentences and play the game.
- Og family wordsDog, fog, hog, jog and log all end in -og, and so do frog and hedgehog. Hear every word in the family, read the sentences and play the listening game.
- At family wordsThe -at family is usually the very first word family children learn: cat, hat, mat and sat all end in the same two letters. Hear each word, read the sentences and try the game.
- Short o wordsShort o is the sound in hot, dog and mop. It is a clear, open sound that most children hear easily. Listen to each word, read the sentences, and play the game at the end.