The un word family: -un words list
Bun, fun, run and sun all end in -un. The same un chunk also starts words like unzip and unpack. Hear every word, read the sentences and play the game.
Un family words list (25 words)
Tap a word to hear it.
CVC -un words
-un words with blends and digraphs
Longer words ending in -un
-un words with s
Words that start with the un chunk
Un 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.
Un 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 un word family?
The un word family is the group of words that end in the rime -un, the short u sound followed by n, as in bun, fun, run and sun. Children read them by blending the first sound onto -un: s + un, sun. The family also includes spun, stun and shun, longer words such as begun and outrun, and plural or verb forms such as runs and suns. The same un chunk appears at the start of words such as unzip and unpack.
- The rime -un is short u /u/ followed by /n/, as in sun.
- Common three-letter -un words: bun, fun, nun, pun, run and sun.
- Son, won, ton and done rhyme with sun but are spelled with o, so they are not in this family.
- Un- at the start of a word usually means not or undo: unzip, unlock, unpack.
About un family words
The -un rime is short u followed by /n/. Both sounds can be held, uuunnn, which makes this one of the easiest families to blend: sss-uuun, sun. Run, sun and fun are words children use every day, so they make strong anchor words when the family is first introduced.
The -un family is small at the one-syllable level. Beyond the six CVC words there are only a few everyday blend and digraph words: spun, stun and shun. Longer words such as begun and outrun, and forms with s such as runs and suns, keep the practice going while the chunk stays the same.
The last group turns the chunk around. In unzip, unpack, unlock and undo, un comes at the start of the word, where it means not or reverse the action. It is spelled and said the same way, so a child who can read sun can already read the un in unzip. This is a natural first look at prefixes. Watch out for son, won and ton: they rhyme with sun but use the letter o, so they belong on a separate list of tricky words.
Un 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 sun is fun.
- Run to the bun!
- The top spun and spun.
- Unzip the bag and unpack.
- Can you outrun the dog?
- Unlock the box and undo the knot.
- The fun has just begun.
- Six buns sat in the sun.
Common mix-ups with un family words
Sun and son
They sound the same, but son is spelled with o. For reading, keep to the -un spellings on this page; introduce son, won and done later as words that break the pattern.
-un and -in (sun and sin, fun and fin)
Short u and short i can be confused by children who are still learning vowel sounds. Read fun/fin and bun/bin side by side and ask which vowel your child hears.
Un at the start and at the end
In sun, un is at the end; in unzip, it is at the start. If your child is thrown by this, cover the rest of the word and read un on its own first, then add the rest.
Un family words activities
Sun rays
Draw a sun with -un in the middle and a first letter on each ray. Your child reads each ray's word by blending the letter onto -un, then colors the ray.
Run and read
Place -un word cards at the far end of a room or garden. Your child runs to a card, reads it, and runs back with it. Count how many they collect.
Undo it
Gather a zipped bag, a packed box and a locked toy. Show the words zip, pack and lock, then add un to each and have your child read the new word and do the action.
Bun bakery
Cut bun shapes from paper and write -un words on them. Your child sells buns in a pretend bakery, reading each bun's word aloud before handing it over.
Un family words: frequently asked questions
What words are in the un word family?
The three-letter ones are bun, fun, nun, pun, run and sun. Longer -un words include spun, stun, shun, begun, outrun and rerun, and the chunk also starts words such as unzip, unpack and unlock.
Is 'one' in the un family?
One rhymes with sun, but it is spelled completely differently, so it is not in the family. It is usually taught as a tricky high-frequency word.
Why include words like unzip?
The un in unzip is spelled and pronounced exactly like the -un in sun. Reading it at the start of a word shows children that a chunk they know can appear anywhere, and it introduces the un- prefix.
Why is the un family so small?
English has only a few common one-syllable words ending in -un. Adding forms with s and words that start with un gives enough practice without using rare words.
Practise next
- Ug family wordsBug, hug, jug, mug and rug all end in -ug, and so do plug, snug and ladybug. Hear every word, read the sentences and play the listening game.
- In family wordsBin, fin, pin, tin and win all end in -in, and so does in itself. Hear every word, from chin and spin to pumpkin and violin, then play the game.
- En family wordsDen, hen, men, pen and ten all end in -en, and so do then and when. Hear every word, from wren to kitten and seven, read the sentences and play the game.
- Short u wordsShort u is the sound in sun, bug and cup. It is a short, relaxed sound, and many of its words are easy to picture. Tap a word to hear it, read the sentences, and play the listening game.