Word families (phonograms)

From FreeReading

Here is a list of rimes to use in word family activities. The original list from Wylie and Durrell (1970) identified 37 high-frequency English spelling patterns, or phonograms. We narrowed that list slightly by including only the irregular patterns, since students need more practice at these than regular rimes such as -at and -op.

Rimes are listed in alphabetical order, though that is not the order they should be taught in. It is better to begin with rimes that are highly differentiated (such as -ack and -ore) so that students get the idea. Later, you can teach similar rimes in the same lesson (such as -ail and -ain) to ensure that students can detect small differences.

1. -ack as in back.
2. -ail as in snail.
3. -ain as in rain.
4. -ake as in cake.
5. -ale as in whale.
6. -ame as in game.
7. -ank as in sank.
8. -ash as in trash.
9. -ate as in plate.
10. -aw as in saw.
11. -ay as in say.
12. -eed as in seed.
13. -ell as in bell.
14. -est as in best.
15. -ew as in few.
16. -ide as in hide.
17. -ick as in kick.
18. -ight as in light.
19. -ill as in fill.
20. -ine as in nine.
21. -ing as in sing.
22. -ink as in wink.
23. -ock as in clock.
24. -oke as in joke.
25. -ook as in book.
26. -ore as in more.
27. -uck as in duck.
28. -ump as in jump.
29. -unk as in skunk.

For a more focused list of phonograms based on research into their frequency of occurrence and regularity, see Super Word Families.