Pre-primer
The first forty. Taught before a child reads connected text at all.
Kindergarten to third grade
Dolch sight words
The 220 service words and 95 nouns Edward Dolch published in 1936, in the groups he put them in, each with a sentence and a test that reads them aloud.
Kindergarten to third grade 315 words 6 units
Take a unit
Primer
Kindergarten. Colours, numbers and the verbs that hold a sentence together.
First grade
Where the irregular past tenses arrive: had, has, were, know.
Second grade
The homophone trap opens here: their, its, right, would, your.
Third grade
Longer and less phonetic: laugh, myself, together, eight.
The 95 nouns
Dolch listed these separately: they are picturable, so they are learned differently.
The words
WordSentence read after it
a
I ate a pear at lunch.
and
Bread and butter for breakfast.
away
The cat ran away from the dog.
big
That is a big red truck.
blue
The sky is bright blue today.
can
I can tie my own shoes.
come
Please come to the front of the class.
down
Slide down the hill on the sled.
find
Can you find my missing glove?
for
This card is for my grandmother.
funny
That story was very funny.
go
We go to the park after school.
help
I will help you carry the books.
here
Put your bag down here.
I
I am ready to start.
in
The pencils are in the drawer.
is
The soup is too hot.
it
Open the box and look inside it.
jump
Frogs jump from stone to stone.
little
A little bird landed on the fence.
look
Look at the picture on page four.
make
We will make a card for Dad.
me
Please pass me the glue.
my
My coat is hanging by the door.
not
This pen is not working.
one
Only one apple is left.
play
We play football at lunchtime.
red
She wore a red hat.
run
I can run all the way home.
said
The teacher said to line up.
see
I can see the moon tonight.
the
Put the milk in the fridge.
three
There are three eggs left.
to
We walked to the shop together.
two
I have two brothers.
up
Climb up the ladder slowly.
we
We are going swimming.
where
Where did you leave your lunchbox?
yellow
The lemon is yellow.
you
You can borrow my ruler.
Unit 2
all
We all sang the same song.
am
I am eight years old.
are
These shoes are too small.
at
Meet me at the gate.
ate
He ate the whole sandwich.
be
Try to be quiet in the library.
black
The kitten is black with white paws.
brown
A brown owl sat in the tree.
but
I like carrots but not peas.
came
Grandma came on the train.
did
Did you finish your homework?
do
Please do your best work.
eat
We eat lunch at twelve.
four
A table has four legs.
get
Get your coat from the peg.
good
That was a good idea.
have
I have a new library book.
he
He runs faster than me.
into
The rabbit went into its burrow.
like
I like painting best.
must
You must wash your hands first.
new
She has new shoes for school.
no
There is no milk left.
now
We are leaving now.
on
The cup is on the shelf.
our
This is our classroom.
out
The cat wants to go out.
please
Please close the window.
pretty
She drew a pretty flower.
ran
The dog ran across the field.
ride
I ride my bike to school.
saw
I saw a rainbow this morning.
say
Say your name clearly.
she
She plays the violin.
so
It was so cold we stayed in.
soon
The bus will be here soon.
that
That book is mine.
there
Your bag is over there by the door.
they
They are waiting outside.
this
This pencil needs sharpening.
too
The soup is too salty.
under
The ball rolled under the bed.
want
I want to try again.
was
The film was very long.
well
She reads very well.
went
We went to the museum.
what
What is the answer to question five?
white
The snow is white and deep.
who
Who left this jacket behind?
will
I will call you tomorrow.
with
Come with me to the office.
yes
Say yes if you agree.
Unit 3
after
We play outside after lunch.
again
Read the sentence again slowly.
an
She picked an orange from the bowl.
any
Is there any paper left?
as
He is as tall as his sister.
ask
Ask your teacher for help.
by
The chair by the window is free.
could
I could hear the rain on the roof.
every
We read every day.
fly
Butterflies fly from flower to flower.
from
This letter is from my cousin.
give
Give the book back to Sam.
giving
She is giving out the worksheets.
had
We had pancakes for breakfast.
has
He has a loose tooth.
her
Her drawing won the prize.
him
Give the message to him.
his
His bike has a flat tire.
how
How do you spell your last name?
just
The bell just rang.
know
I know the answer.
let
Let the paint dry first.
live
We live near the river.
may
You may leave when you finish.
of
A glass of water, please.
old
This is an old photograph.
once
Read it once more before you hand it in.
open
Open your books at page ten.
over
The cat jumped over the wall.
put
Put the scissors back in the pot.
round
The plate is round.
some
Take some paper from the pile.
stop
Stop at the crossing.
take
Take an umbrella with you.
thank
Thank your neighbor for the ride.
them
Give the pencils back to them.
then
Wash your hands, then sit down.
think
I think it will rain.
walk
We walk to school every morning.
were
They were late for the bus.
when
When does the show start?
Unit 4
always
She always finishes her lunch.
around
We ran around the track twice.
because
I stayed in because it rained.
been
I have been to that museum before.
before
Wash your hands before dinner.
best
This is my best drawing.
both
Both twins have red hair.
buy
We buy bread at the corner store.
call
Call me when you get home.
cold
The water in the pool is cold.
does
Does anyone need a pencil?
don't
Please don't slam the door.
fast
The train goes very fast.
first
She was first in the line.
five
I have five fingers on each hand.
found
I found my glove under the bench.
gave
He gave me half his orange.
goes
This box goes on the top shelf.
green
The frog is bright green.
its
The dog wagged its tail hard.
made
We made cookies on Saturday.
many
How many chairs do we need?
off
Turn off the light when you leave.
or
Would you like milk or juice?
pull
Pull the rope harder.
read
I read two chapters last night.
right
Raise your right hand.
sing
We sing at the end of assembly.
sit
Please sit on the carpet.
sleep
Babies sleep most of the day.
tell
Tell me what happened.
their
The children hung up their coats.
these
These apples are sour.
those
Those clouds look like rain.
upon
Once upon a time there was a king.
us
Come and sit with us.
use
Use a ruler for straight lines.
very
The soup was very hot.
wash
Wash the paintbrushes in the sink.
which
Which door leads to the hall?
why
Why is the door locked?
wish
I wish it would snow.
work
Finish your work before break.
would
I would like another turn.
write
Write your name at the top.
your
Is this your jacket?
Unit 5
about
The film is about a lost dog.
better
My handwriting is getting better.
bring
Bring your library book tomorrow.
carry
I can carry both bags.
clean
Clean the board with a damp cloth.
cut
Cut along the dotted line.
done
My homework is done.
draw
Draw a circle around the answer.
drink
Drink some water after running.
eight
There are eight legs on a spider.
fall
Be careful not to fall on the ice.
far
The station is not far from here.
full
The bucket is full of rain.
got
I got a letter in the mail.
grow
Sunflowers grow very tall.
hold
Hold the door open for me.
hot
The pan is still hot.
hurt
I hurt my knee at practice.
if
Bring a coat if it is cold.
keep
Keep your ticket safe.
kind
It was kind of you to share.
laugh
That joke made everyone laugh.
light
Turn on the light in the hall.
long
The line at the door was very long.
much
How much does the ticket cost?
myself
I made this model myself.
never
I have never tasted mango.
only
Only two seats are left.
own
She has her own bedroom.
pick
Pick a card from the pile.
seven
A week has seven days.
shall
Shall we start the game?
show
Show me your notebook.
six
Six children stayed for lunch.
small
The kitten is very small.
start
Start at the top of the page.
ten
Count to ten and open your eyes.
today
Today is the last day of term.
together
We finished the puzzle together.
try
Try the harder question next.
warm
The bread is still warm.
Unit 6
apple
She packed an apple in her lunch.
baby
The baby is asleep in the stroller.
back
Put the chair back where you found it.
ball
The ball rolled into the road.
bear
A brown bear crossed the river.
bed
Make your bed before school.
bell
The bell rings at three.
bird
A small bird built a nest here.
birthday
My birthday is in April.
boat
The boat rocked on the waves.
box
Store the crayons in this box.
boy
The boy in the blue coat is my cousin.
bread
Cut the bread into thick slices.
brother
My brother is two years older.
cake
We shared the cake at break.
car
The car would not start.
cat
The cat slept on the windowsill.
chair
Push your chair under the desk.
chicken
A chicken laid an egg in the straw.
children
The children lined up quietly.
Christmas
We put lights up at Christmas.
coat
Hang your coat on the hook.
corn
The corn grew taller than me.
cow
A cow was grazing in the field.
day
Sports day is on Friday.
dog
Our dog barks at the mail carrier.
doll
She dressed the doll in a hat.
door
Close the door behind you.
duck
A duck swam across the pond.
egg
The egg cracked on the floor.
eye
A speck of dust got in my eye.
farm
We visited a farm last spring.
farmer
The farmer fed the sheep.
father
My father drives a bus.
feet
My feet are cold.
fire
The fire kept the room warm.
fish
A fish jumped out of the water.
floor
Someone spilled paint on the floor.
flower
She picked a flower for the vase.
game
We lost the game by one point.
garden
Beans are growing in the garden.
girl
The girl with the flute is my sister.
goodbye
We waved goodbye from the platform.
grass
The grass is wet with dew.
ground
Acorns lay on the ground.
hand
Raise your hand before you speak.
head
She wore a scarf on her head.
hill
We cycled up a steep hill.
home
I walk home with my sister.
horse
The horse jumped the fence.
house
Their house is on the corner.
kitty
The kitty hid under the sofa.
leg
The table has a broken leg.
letter
I mailed a letter to my aunt.
man
A man asked for directions.
men
Two men carried the piano.
milk
Pour the milk into the jug.
money
I saved my money for a book.
morning
We do reading every morning.
mother
My mother works at the hospital.
name
Write your name in the box.
nest
The robin built a nest in the hedge.
night
The owl hunts at night.
paper
Take a sheet of paper each.
party
The party starts at four.
picture
Draw a picture of your house.
pig
The pig rolled in the mud.
rabbit
A rabbit hopped across the lawn.
rain
The rain soaked my shoes.
ring
She wore a silver ring.
robin
A robin sang from the fence post.
Santa Claus
The children wrote to Santa Claus.
school
Our school has a new library.
seed
Plant one seed in each pot.
sheep
The sheep grazed on the hillside.
shoe
My shoe has a hole in it.
sister
My sister plays the drums.
snow
The snow covered the playground.
song
We learned a new song today.
squirrel
A squirrel buried a nut.
stick
The dog fetched the stick.
street
Our street is very quiet.
sun
The sun came out after lunch.
table
Set the table for six people.
thing
The strangest thing happened today.
time
What time does the bus leave?
top
Write the date at the top.
toy
He packed one toy for the trip.
tree
A tall tree shades the yard.
watch
Watch how I fold the paper.
water
Fill the bottle with water.
way
Show me the way to the hall.
wind
The wind blew the leaves about.
window
Open the window for fresh air.
wood
The shelf is made of wood.
Sheets you can print
Tick what you need. The packet prints in this order, one sheet per page, with nothing else on the paper.
What Dolch counted, and why the list still holds
Edward Dolch built this list by counting words in children’s books in the 1930s and pulling out the ones that turn up constantly and cannot be sounded out reliably — the, said, come, would. Between them the 220 service words account for somewhere between half and two-thirds of the words in most beginning readers, which is why the list survived a change of century and several changes of teaching fashion.
The nouns sit apart for a good reason. A child can be shown a picture of an apple; nobody can draw "would". Picturable words are learned by a different route and are usually easier, so folding them into the service groups would flatter a child’s progress rather than measure it.
Sight word does not mean unsoundable
The phrase is misleading and does real harm when taken literally. Roughly two-thirds of the Dolch words are perfectly regular — and, stop, black and help all sound out exactly as written — and drilling those as whole shapes teaches a child to guess at words they could have decoded. What Dolch identified was frequency, not irregularity.
The genuinely irregular ones make a far shorter list: said, come, some, one, two, who, could, would, should, been, again. Those are worth learning as wholes. For the rest, the useful instruction is "you can already sound this out — now do it fast enough that you stop noticing you did".
Working through the groups
Take a group, not the list. Pre-primer is forty words and occupies most children for several weeks; all 315 at once is a year’s work and looks like a wall. Ten a week from a single group, tested on Friday, with the misses carried into the following week, gets through pre-primer and primer in a term.
The order inside a group does not matter; the order of the groups does. They are graded by how early the words appear in text, so a child who has not got pre-primer will find primer disproportionately hard. When a group is going badly the right move is to drop back rather than to slow down.
Common questions
How many Dolch words are there in total?
315: the 220 service words split across five graded groups, plus 95 nouns listed separately. The 220 is the number usually quoted, because that is the part which has to be taught as vocabulary rather than picked up from pictures.
What age is each Dolch group for?
Roughly: pre-primer before formal reading begins, primer in kindergarten, then one group per year through third grade. Treat it as a sequence rather than a calendar — the groups get harder in a fixed order, but children move through them at very different speeds.
Are the Dolch lists free to use?
Yes. The list was published in the 1930s, is reproduced in thousands of school documents, and appears here unedited. The example sentences on this page are ours; the words themselves are not anybody’s.
Dolch or Fry — which should I use?
Dolch if the child is at the very beginning and short graded groups suit you. Fry if you want frequency order and a longer runway, since it continues to a thousand. They overlap heavily across the first few hundred words, so working through both in full is largely duplicated effort.