How it works
These 4 letter sight words are 42 common words in three sets: ones that sound out, ones with a long vowel or a vowel team, and ones with a tricky part. Each card has a sentence on the back.
Read the full guide
What changes at four letters
Four letters is where a silent e shows up (like, make, came), where th and wh start a word (that, this, when) and where look-alike pairs appear: went and want, them and then, were and here. The line beside each word in the list names the part to watch.
Three sets of fourteen
The page opens on fourteen words that sound out. Press Show answer to turn a card and read its sentence; once you have, print links show under the card. A set prints on two sheets of Letter or A4. The other two sets are under Show only.
- Were and here look alike and do not rhyme. Read both cards aloud.
- Have ends in a silent e, yet its a stays short. Sort it apart from gave and came.
- Them ends in m and then ends in n. Say each and listen for the last sound.
Questions and answers
What are the 4 letter sight words?
Our list has 42. Fourteen sound out, such as that, this, with, will, went and help. Fourteen have a long vowel or a vowel team, such as like, make, play and look. Fourteen have a tricky part, such as said, have, come and they.
Which four-letter sight words are hardest?
Those where the vowel letters do not say their usual sound. The ai of said says short e, the oe of does says the u of cup, and been is said like bin.
How are these different from three-letter sight words?
The fourth letter brings the silent e (like, make), last-letter pairs such as the st of just and the lp of help, and more two-letter teams: th, wh, ay, oo. For the shorter words, see the three-letter sight words.
Is this a published sight word list?
No. The 42 were picked by length from the words our own sight word pages teach. Nothing is copied from a published list, so hold them up against the list your school uses.