Word List
Dolch Sight Words
All 220 Dolch sight words, from the pre-primer and primer lists for kindergarten up to third grade. Each level is split into the words to sound out and the heart words to learn by heart, with worksheets for both. Only 49 of the 220 are heart words.
What is the Dolch sight word list?
The Dolch list is 220 of the most common words in children’s books, in five levels. Educator Edward Dolch built it in the 1930s and 40s from the words that turned up most often in children’s books of the time, according to sightwords.com. This page follows dolchword.net, which splits the words into pre-primer, primer, first, second and third grade lists and orders each one by frequency, most common word first. Both the pre-primer and the primer list are kindergarten lists here.
| Level | Grade | Words | Heart words |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-primer | Kindergarten | 40 | 8 |
| Primer | Kindergarten | 52 | 12 |
| First grade | 1st | 41 | 11 |
| Second grade | 2nd | 46 | 12 |
| Third grade | 3rd | 41 | 6 |
| All five | 220 | 49 |
Dolch also kept a separate list of 95 nouns, which this page leaves out. He set them apart because a child can usually get a noun from the picture on the page, while the 220 are the words a picture cannot help with.
How many Dolch words have to be memorized?
Only 49 of the 220. Most Dolch words are decodable: every part of the word follows a spelling pattern your child learns in phonics, so they can sound it out. The rest are heart words, where part of the word breaks the usual patterns, so it has to be learned by heart. That is how every level below is split: the words to sound out, with worksheets that practice their sounds, and the heart words, with worksheets that build them through repetition.
Counts vary with how strictly “decodable” is drawn. Reading specialists Linda Farrell, Michael Hunter and Tina Osenga, writing for Reading Rockets, count 138 of the 220 as decodable, which leaves 82. This page counts a word as decodable whenever it follows a pattern taught by third grade, which is why it finds fewer. How to teach sight words covers how to practice both kinds, and sight word games has nine games for the heart words among them.
For a kindergartner the job is smaller still. Across the pre-primer and primer lists, 20 of the 92 words are heart words, close to the twenty sight words reading researcher Timothy Shanahan suggests by the end of kindergarten.
How is Dolch different from Fry?
Dolch sorts words by grade; Fry ranks them by how common they are. Edward Fry’s list runs to 1,000 words in groups of a hundred, and the Fry sight words page sets the two lists side by side and counts the words they share. If your school sends Fry words, that page sorts the first 300 the same way this page sorts Dolch, and the 3rd grade sight words page has the third hundred with worksheets.
Pre-primer Dolch words (kindergarten)
The pre-primer list is Dolch's first: 40 words, taught here in kindergarten. Of those, 32 can be sounded out and only 8 are heart words.
Pre-primer: words to sound out
These 32 can be sounded out with phonics. Some use a pattern your child meets a little later, such as the ee in see: read those together and name the pattern until it has been taught. On the sound boxes sheet, your child says each word and writes one spelling for each sound.
- and
- a
- I
- it
- in
- for
- up
- look
- is
- go
- we
- little
- down
- can
- see
- not
- my
- me
- big
- blue
- red
- jump
- away
- here
- help
- make
- yellow
- play
- run
- find
- three
- funny
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Pre-Primer Words to Sound Out
- Dolch Pre-Primer Words to Sound Out: Word Cards (PDF)32 cards · 4 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Pre-Primer Words to Sound Out: Trace and Write (PDF)16 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
Pre-primer: heart words
These eight are heart words, words that break the usual spelling patterns and need to be learned by heart. Our heart words guide shows which part of each one to learn by heart.
- the
- to
- you
- said
- one
- come
- where
- two
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Pre-Primer Heart Words
- Dolch Pre-Primer Heart Word Cards (PDF)8 cards · 1 page
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Pre-Primer Heart Words: Trace and Write (PDF)8 words · 1 page
Preview page 1Preview
Primer Dolch words (kindergarten)
The primer list is Dolch's second: 52 words, also taught here in kindergarten. Of those, 40 can be sounded out and only 12 are heart words.
Primer: words to sound out
These 40 can be sounded out with phonics. Some use a pattern your child meets a little later, such as the oo in good: read those together and name the pattern until it has been taught. On the sound boxes sheet, your child says each word and writes one spelling for each sound.
- he
- that
- she
- on
- but
- at
- with
- all
- out
- be
- am
- did
- so
- get
- like
- this
- will
- yes
- went
- now
- no
- came
- ride
- good
- too
- saw
- well
- ran
- brown
- eat
- new
- must
- black
- white
- soon
- our
- ate
- say
- under
- please
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Primer Words to Sound Out
- Dolch Primer Words to Sound Out: Word Cards (PDF)40 cards · 4 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Primer Words to Sound Out: Trace and Write (PDF)16 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
Primer: heart words
These 12 are heart words, words that break the usual spelling patterns and need to be learned by heart.
- was
- they
- there
- have
- do
- what
- are
- into
- want
- pretty
- four
- who
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Primer Heart Words
- Dolch Primer Heart Word Cards (PDF)12 cards · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Primer Heart Word Bingo (PDF)12 words · 7 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Primer Heart Words: Trace and Write (PDF)12 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
First grade Dolch words
Dolch's first grade list has 41 words. Of those, 30 can be sounded out and only 11 are heart words.
First grade: words to sound out
These 30 can be sounded out with phonics. Some use a pattern your child meets a little later, such as the ow in how: read those together and name the pattern until it has been taught. On the sound boxes sheet, your child says each word and writes one spelling for each sound.
- his
- had
- him
- her
- as
- then
- when
- them
- ask
- an
- over
- just
- how
- know
- take
- every
- old
- by
- after
- think
- let
- going
- walk
- may
- stop
- fly
- round
- open
- has
- thank
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch First Grade Words to Sound Out
- Dolch First Grade Words to Sound Out: Word Cards (PDF)30 cards · 3 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch First Grade Words to Sound Out: Trace and Write (PDF)16 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
First grade: heart words
These 11 are heart words, words that break the usual spelling patterns and need to be learned by heart.
- of
- some
- could
- were
- from
- any
- put
- again
- give
- once
- live
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch First Grade Heart Words
- Dolch First Grade Heart Word Cards (PDF)11 cards · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch First Grade Heart Word Bingo (PDF)11 words · 7 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch First Grade Heart Words: Trace and Write (PDF)11 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
Second grade Dolch words
Dolch's second grade list has 46 words. Of those, 34 can be sounded out and only 12 are heart words.
Second grade: words to sound out
These 34 can be sounded out with phonics. On the sound boxes sheet, your child says each word and writes one spelling for each sound.
- very
- its
- around
- right
- green
- call
- sleep
- five
- or
- before
- off
- cold
- tell
- first
- goes
- write
- always
- made
- gave
- us
- those
- use
- fast
- both
- sit
- which
- read
- why
- found
- best
- upon
- these
- sing
- wish
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Second Grade Words to Sound Out
- Dolch Second Grade Words to Sound Out: Word Cards (PDF)34 cards · 4 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Second Grade Words to Sound Out: Handwriting Practice (PDF)16 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
Second grade: heart words
These 12 are heart words, words that break the usual spelling patterns and need to be learned by heart.
- would
- your
- don't
- their
- wash
- been
- work
- does
- buy
- pull
- because
- many
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Second Grade Heart Words
- Dolch Second Grade Heart Word Cards (PDF)12 cards · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Second Grade Heart Word Bingo (PDF)12 words · 7 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Second Grade Heart Words: Handwriting Practice (PDF)12 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
Third grade Dolch words
Dolch's third grade list has 41 words. Of those, 35 can be sounded out and only 6 are heart words. If your school uses the Fry list instead, the third hundred Fry words are on the 3rd grade sight words page.
Third grade: words to sound out
These 35 can be sounded out with phonics. On the sound boxes sheet, your child says each word and writes one spelling for each sound.
- if
- long
- about
- got
- six
- never
- seven
- today
- myself
- much
- keep
- try
- start
- ten
- bring
- drink
- better
- hold
- light
- pick
- hurt
- cut
- kind
- fall
- carry
- small
- own
- show
- hot
- far
- draw
- clean
- grow
- together
- shall
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Third Grade Words to Sound Out
- Dolch Third Grade Words to Sound Out: Word Cards (PDF)35 cards · 4 pages
Preview page 1Preview
- Dolch Third Grade Words to Sound Out: Handwriting Practice (PDF)16 words · 2 pages
Preview page 1Preview
Third grade: heart words
These six are heart words, words that break the usual spelling patterns and need to be learned by heart.
- eight
- only
- warm
- full
- done
- laugh
Free PDF · no sign-up
Printables for Dolch Third Grade Heart Words
- Dolch Third Grade Heart Word Cards (PDF)6 cards · 1 page
Preview page 1Preview
