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 nglish !according to "ylie and #urrell$ are% ac&, ain, a&e, ale, all, ame, an, an&, ap, ash, at, ate, aw ay, eat, ell, est, ice, ic&, ide, ight, ill, in, ine, ing, in&, ip, it, oc&, o&e, op, ore, ot, uc& ,ug, ump, un&. 'any of the nursery rhymes contain common word families. (ou can use these rhymes to teach these letter combinations !and how they are spelled and spo&en$, having the students sound them out after memori)ing the rhyme. (ou can study one word family a wee&. *tudents can use the +ittle xplorers ,icture #ictionary to loo& for more words that belong to word families. The following is a list of the most common word families in nglish !from "ylie and #urrell, -.7/, plus a few extra word families$ and examples of each.

Word Families
ack attac& bac& blac& crac& hac& 0ac& &nac& lac& pac& 1uac& rac& sac& snac& stac& tac& trac& whac& 2ac& ad ad bad brad cad clad dad doodad glad had lad mad pad sad age ail ain ake ale all am ame an ank ap cap clap flap gap lap map nap rap sap scrap slap snap strap tap trap wrap yap )ap ar ash at age ail brain awa&e cage fail chain ba&e engage hail complain bra&e rage 3ail explain ca&e sage mail gain fa&e stage nail grain fla&e wage pail main 0a&e rail obtain la&e sail pain ma&e snail plain 1ua&e tail rain ra&e wail slain sa&e *pain sha&e sprain sna&e stain sta&e strain ta&e train wa&e vain ale all cam blame an ban& bale ball clam came ban blan& dale call dam fame bran cran& gale fall dram flame can dan& &ale gall exam frame clan dran& male hall gram game #an flan& pale install ham lame fan fran& sale mall 3am name flan 5an& scale small lam same Fran plan& stale s1uall ma4am shame 0an pran& tale stall ,am tame 0apan ran& whale tall ram man san& thrall *am pan shran& wall scam pecan span& slam plan tan& spam ran than& swam scan yan& tam span tram *tan afar ash at bar bash bat car brash brat c)ar cash cat far clash chat gar crash fat guitar dash flat 3ar flash gnat mar gash hat par gnash mat scar hash pat spar lash rat star mash sat tar rash slat tsar sash spat slash tat smash that splash vat stash

wham yam

tan than van ent accent bent cent dent event gent lent rent scent sent spent tent vent went est best chest crest 3est nest pest 1uest rest test unrest vest west )est ice dice ice mice nice price rice slice spice splice thrice twice vice ick bric& chic& clic& flic& &ic& lic& nic& pic& 1uic& 9ic& sic& slic& stic& thic& tic& tric& wic& ide

thrash trash

ate abate ate crate date debate fate gate grate hate 6ate late mate plate rate relate sate s&ate state

aw caw claw draw flaw gnaw 3aw law paw raw saw slaw straw thaw

ay away bay bray clay day decay delay display flay gay gray hay 3ay lay may nay o&ay pay play pray 1uay ray relay replay say slay spray stay stray sway they today tray way ile bile file mile :ile pile

eat beat cheat cleat eat feat greet heat meat neat peat pleat seat treat wheat

eel eel feel heel &eel &neel peel reel steel wheel

eep beep creep deep 3eep &eep peep seep sheep sleep steep sweep weep

eet beet feet fleet greet meet sheet sleet street sweet tweet

ell bell cell dell dwell farewell fell hell sell shell smell spell swell tell well yell

en amen 7en children den fen gentlemen glen 8wen hen men open pen then ten when wren yen

bride decide glide hide pride ride side slide stride tide wide

ife fife &nife life strife wife

ight bright delight fight flight fright

ill bill chill dill drill fill

in bin chin din fin gin

ine brine decline define dine fine

ing bring cling fling &ing ping

ink blin& brin& drin& fin& in&

ip blip chip dip drip flip

it admit bit fit flit grit

oat boat coat float gloat goat

ock bloc& cloc& coc& croc& doc&

og blog bog catalog clog cog

height &night light might night plight right sight slight tight tonight

rile smile stile tile vile while

frill gill grill hill ill 0ill &ill &rill mill pill 1uill shrill sill s&ill spill still swill thrill thrill till trill will ood

grin in &in pin shin s&in sin spin thin tin twin win within

line mine nine pine shine shrine sine spine swine tine twine vine whine wine

ring sing sling spring sting string swing thing wing wring )ing

lin& min& pin& rin& shrin& sin& stin& thin& win&

grip hip lip nip 1uip rip ship sip s&ip slip snip strip tip trip whip )ip

hit it &it &nit lit mit pit 1uit sit s&it slit snit spit split twit wit

oat floc& stoat froc& throat hoc& 3oc& &noc& loc& moc& o4cloc& roc& shoc& smoc& soc& stoc&

dog fog frog hog 3og log slog smog

oil

oot !long boil awo&e boo good brood goof hoof boo& bloom cool balloon coop oo$ broil blo&e coo hood food proof woof broo& boom drool goon droop coil bro&e goo stood mood roof coo& broom fool loon hoop boot foil cho&e igloo wood spoof croo& doom pool moon loop hoot oil 3o&e moo hoo& gloom spool noon scoop scoot soil po&e shoo loo& groom stool soon snoop shoot spoil smo&e too noo& loom tool spoon stoop toil spo&e woo roo& room swoon troop sto&e )oo shoo& )oom stro&e too& wo&e yo&e

oke

oo

ood

oof

oof

ook

oom

ool

oon

oop

oot !short oo$ foot soot

op bop chop cop crop drop flop hop lop mop plop pop prop sop shop stop top ump bump clump dump grump un bun fun gun nun unk

ore

ow (rhymes bore adorn apricot bought could douse about with chore born blot brought should grouse bout cow) core corn bot fought would house clout fore forlorn clot ought louse gout

orn

ot

ought

ould

ouse

out

ow own (rhymes with brown low) crown down drown

uck buc& chuc& cluc& duc&

ug bug dug hug 3ug

bun& chun drun dun&

gore lore more ore pore score shore sore spore store swore tore wore yore

horn morn scorn shorn thorn torn worn

cot sought dot thought forgot wrought got hot 3ot &not lot not plot pot rot shot slot spot tot trot

mouse grout bow spouse out cow lout chow pout how scout now shout plow snout sow spout vow stout wow tout trout

bow blow crow flow glow grow low mow row show slow snow sow stow throw tow

frown gown nightgown town

luc& muc& puc& pluc& stuc& struc& truc& tuc& yuc&

lug mug plug pug rug shrug smug snug thug tug

hump 3ump lump plump pump rump slump stump thump trump

pun run shun spun stun sun

flun& fun& hun& 3un& lun& plun& pun& s&un slun& spun sun& trun&