Word lists by gradeEnglish Updated
Word lists by grade: 38 free lists for Pre-K to Grade 3
38 free word lists with 1,079 words, placed from Pre-K to Grade 3. Each list sits at the grade where a Common Core standard or the classic Dolch list first expects it, with the source shown. Every word has audio, the lists print cleanly, and the whole set downloads as CSV or JSON.
- word lists
- 38
- different words
- 1,079
- grade levels
- 5
- and JSON download
- CSV
- printable
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Pre-K word lists
Pre-K, typical age 4–5 in the US: 1 list introduced here, 40 words across them.
| List | Words | Placement basis |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-k sight wordsa · and · away · big · blue | 40 | Dolch (1936)Classic list |
Kindergarten word lists
Kindergarten, typical age 5–6 in the US: 23 lists introduced here, 746 words across them.
| List | Words | Placement basis |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten sight wordsall · am · are · at · ate | 52 | Dolch (1936)Classic list |
| Dolch nounsapple · baby · back · ball · bearContinues through Grade 3 | 95 | Dolch (1936)Classic list |
| Short a wordsbat · cat · hat · mat · patContinues through Grade 1 | 45 | RF.K.2.d, RF.K.3.bCommon Core standard |
| Short e wordsget · jet · let · met · netContinues through Grade 1 | 27 | RF.K.2.d, RF.K.3.bCommon Core standard |
| Short i wordsbig · dig · fig · jig · pigContinues through Grade 1 | 39 | RF.K.2.d, RF.K.3.bCommon Core standard |
| Short o wordscot · dot · got · hot · jotContinues through Grade 1 | 30 | RF.K.2.d, RF.K.3.bCommon Core standard |
| Short u wordsbug · dug · hug · jug · mugContinues through Grade 1 | 32 | RF.K.2.d, RF.K.3.bCommon Core standard |
| At family wordsbat · cat · hat · mat · patContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| An family wordsban · can · fan · man · panContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Ap family wordscap · gap · lap · map · napContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Ag family wordsbag · lag · nag · rag · sagContinues through Grade 1 | 24 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Ig family wordsbig · dig · fig · gig · jigContinues through Grade 1 | 23 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| In family wordsbin · din · fin · kin · pinContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| It family wordsbit · fit · kit · lit · pitContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Ip family wordsdip · hip · lip · nip · ripContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Op family wordscop · hop · mop · pop · topContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Ot family wordscot · dot · got · hot · jotContinues through Grade 1 | 26 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Og family wordsbog · cog · dog · fog · hogContinues through Grade 1 | 26 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Ug family wordsbug · dug · hug · jug · lugContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Un family wordsbun · fun · nun · pun · runContinues through Grade 1 | 25 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Et family wordsget · jet · let · met · netContinues through Grade 1 | 30 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| En family wordsden · hen · men · pen · tenContinues through Grade 1 | 26 | RF.K.2.cCommon Core standard |
| Rhyming wordscat · hat · bat · mat · flat | 46 | RF.K.2.aCommon Core standard |
First grade word lists
Grade 1, typical age 6–7 in the US: 12 lists introduced here, 499 words across them.
| List | Words | Placement basis |
|---|---|---|
| First grade sight wordsafter · again · an · any · as | 41 | Dolch (1936)Classic list |
| Sh wordsship · shop · shed · shell · shelf | 42 | RF.1.3.aCommon Core standard |
| Ch wordschin · chip · chop · chat · check | 48 | RF.1.3.aCommon Core standard |
| Th wordsthin · thick · think · thing · thank | 47 | RF.1.3.aCommon Core standard |
| Wh wordswhat · when · where · which · why | 36 | RF.1.3.aCommon Core standard |
| Ck wordsback · pack · sack · black · snack | 47 | RF.1.3.aCommon Core standard |
| Ph wordsphone · photo · phonics · phase · phrase | 31 | RF.1.3.aCommon Core standard |
| Silent e wordscake · make · bake · lake · gameContinues through Grade 2 | 44 | RF.1.3.c, RF.2.3.a–cCommon Core standard |
| Vowel teamsrain · tail · mail · paint · trainContinues through Grade 2 | 44 | RF.1.3.c, RF.2.3.a–cCommon Core standard |
| Consonant blendsclap · flag · glad · plan · slip | 38 | RF.1.2.bCommon Core standard |
| Nonsense wordsvap · maf · zab · laz · wab | 44 | RF.1.3.bCommon Core standard |
| R-controlled vowelscar · star · farm · park · jarContinues through Grade 2 | 37 | Typical sequenceTypical sequence |
Second grade word lists
Grade 2, typical age 7–8 in the US: 1 list introduced here, 46 words across them.
| List | Words | Placement basis |
|---|---|---|
| Second grade sight wordsalways · around · because · been · before | 46 | Dolch (1936)Classic list |
Third grade word lists
Grade 3, typical age 8–9 in the US: 1 list introduced here, 41 words across them.
| List | Words | Placement basis |
|---|---|---|
| Third grade sight wordsabout · better · bring · carry · clean | 41 | Dolch (1936)Classic list |
How word lists are placed by grade
A grade is a guide, not a rule: children learn to read at different speeds and programs order skills differently. Every list here shows why it sits where it does, in one of three ways.
- Classic list. The sight word lists keep the grade levels of Edward Dolch's basic sight vocabulary (1936), which is in the public domain.
- Common Core standard. Phonics lists point to the Reading Foundational Skills item that names the skill, for example RF.K.2.d for the sounds in CVC words or RF.1.3.a for consonant digraphs. The standards are paraphrased, and the code links to the source.
- Typical sequence. A few lists, such as r-controlled vowels, are not named by a standard. They are labelled a typical sequence and stay open to change.
24 lists continue into a second grade because the skill is practised for more than one year. They appear under the grade that introduces them.
Download the word lists
One file holds every list: each row is one word with its language, list, grade range, placement basis and source link. The English lists have grades. The 282 lists in 5 other languages follow each language's own reading curriculum, so their grade columns stay empty.
The compilation (selection, grouping, grade placement and descriptions) is CC BY 4.0. The Dolch words themselves are public domain. Grade placement is a typical guide: programs and standards differ, and it is not a diagnosis.
The data and an MCP server that lets AI assistants look up these lists are open source on GitHub.
Dyslexia Steps (2026). Word lists by grade, Pre-K to Grade 3, with placement basis. dyslexiasteps.com/word-lists-by-grade. CC BY 4.0.
Short answer
What word lists should children learn at each grade?
38 word lists, 1,079 words, from Pre-K to Grade 3. Each list is placed where a Common Core standard or the classic Dolch list first expects it: sight words from Pre-K, CVC words and rhymes in kindergarten, digraphs, silent e and vowel teams in first grade. Every placement shows its source; programs differ, so treat grades as a guide.
- There are 38 lists with 1,079 different words, placed across 5 grade levels (Pre-K to Grade 3).
- Kindergarten has 23 lists, first grade 12 lists: the CVC, word family and rhyme lists sit in kindergarten, digraphs, silent e and vowel teams in first grade.
- The Dolch sight word lists keep Dolch's own grade levels (1936, public domain); phonics lists are placed by Common Core Foundational Skills items or labelled as a typical sequence.
- The word lists download as CSV and JSON under CC BY 4.0, along with 282 lists in 5 other languages that are not mapped to US grades.
Word lists by grade: frequently asked questions
What word lists does a kindergartner need?
Common Core expects kindergartners to read frequent words such as the, of, to, you and is on sight (RF.K.3.c) and to pick out the sounds in three-letter CVC words (RF.K.2.d). The kindergarten set here has the kindergarten sight words (52 Dolch words), five short vowel CVC lists such as short a words, 15 word family lists and rhyming words.
How is a word list placed at a grade?
Every placement carries one of three bases. Sight words keep Dolch's own grade levels. Phonics lists point to the Common Core Foundational Skills item that names the skill, such as RF.1.3.a for consonant digraphs. A few lists, such as r-controlled vowels, are labelled a typical sequence because no standard names them and programs differ.
Can I print and share these word lists?
Yes. Each list page prints as a clean worksheet with its source line at the bottom, and the compilation is licensed CC BY 4.0, so you can copy, share and adapt it with credit to Dyslexia Steps and a link. The Dolch words themselves are public domain.
Can I download all the word lists at once?
Yes. One CSV and one JSON file hold every list: each row is one word with its language, list, grade range, placement basis and source link. The English lists have grades; the lists in other languages do not, because they follow each language's own reading curriculum.
Are there word lists for other languages?
Yes: 282 lists in German, Spanish, French, Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese, written for how each language is read and not translated from English. They are not mapped to US grades. Start from the dyslexia test in your language or the language's word list pages.
My child is behind these lists. Does that mean dyslexia?
Not by itself. Children learn to read at different speeds, and a grade list is a guide, not a test. If reading stays hard despite regular practice, a specialist assessment is the way to find out why. Our free dyslexia test is a screening of six reading skills in about 8 minutes; it does not replace that assessment.