• 38 words

In Word Family

Words that end in -in and rhyme with pin, in short lists to print or hear as a test.

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List 1: -in, short words (pin)

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.inThe spare key is in the top drawer.
  2. 2.binToss the scraps into the compost bin.
  3. 3.dinThe lunchroom din faded after the bell.
  4. 4.finA gray fin sliced through the wave.
  5. 5.kinAll her kin came to the reunion.
  6. 6.pinOne loose pin rolled off the sewing table.
  7. 7.tinRain drummed on the old tin roof.
  8. 8.winWhoever crosses the chalk line first will win.

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Next step Next family, -an: can, fan, planMore short i words: sit, fish, gym

All 38 words

List 1: -in, short words (pin) 8

  • bin Toss the scraps into the compost bin.
  • din The lunchroom din faded after the bell.
  • fin A gray fin sliced through the wave.
  • in The spare key is in the top drawer.
  • kin All her kin came to the reunion.
  • pin One loose pin rolled off the sewing table.
  • tin Rain drummed on the old tin roof.
  • win Whoever crosses the chalk line first will win.

List 2: two letters before -in (chin) 7

  • chin He rested his chin on both hands.
  • grin Her grin showed one missing front tooth.
  • shin He bumped his shin on the coffee table.
  • skin The drum has a tight skin on top.
  • spin Give the wheel one more hard spin.
  • thin A thin layer of frost covered the windshield.
  • twin Each twin wore a different colored hat.

List 3: longer words that rhyme (begin) 11

  • begin Lessons begin right after the morning song.
  • clothespin Clip each sock up with a clothespin.
  • hairpin A hairpin slipped out of her bun.
  • pushpin Stick the poster up with one pushpin.
  • sheepskin A soft sheepskin covered the old chair.
  • snakeskin We found a dry snakeskin by the woodpile.
  • tailspin The toy glider dropped into a tailspin.
  • topspin Heavy topspin made the ball dip fast.
  • unpin Carefully unpin the pattern from the cloth.
  • violin She tunes her violin before each lesson.
  • within Stay within the painted lines, please.
Show all 38 words (12 more)

List 4: -in said quietly (cabin) 12

  • basin Fill the basin with warm soapy water.
  • cabin Smoke curled from the cabin chimney at dusk.
  • cousin My cousin visits us every summer.
  • dolphin A dolphin clicked and whistled near our kayak.
  • goblin A grumpy goblin guarded the tunnel in the tale.
  • muffin The last corn muffin went to my uncle.
  • napkin Tuck a paper napkin under your plate.
  • penguin One penguin slid downhill on its belly.
  • puffin We spotted a puffin on the sea cliff.
  • pumpkin The biggest pumpkin needed two people to lift.
  • raisin One raisin rolled under the fridge.
  • robin A plump robin splashed in the birdbath.

How this list was compiled: Words chosen and sorted into 4 lists for Homeroom Tools. The choice, the sorting and the sentences are ours; no published list, program or workbook was opened or copied. SOUND AND SPELLING: every word was looked up on 14 October 2026 in the American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q= plus the word) for the sound of its ending and for a second spelling on the headword line, and each has an English entry in Wiktionary (https://en.wiktionary.org/, CC BY-SA 4.0). The dictionary writes the ending of all 38 words as ĭn, the short i of pin. On List 4 the dictionary marks no stress on the last syllable, so those words do not rhyme with pin; the compounds of List 3 (hairpin, topspin) keep a stress mark on it. That a rhyme needs the same stressed vowel is from Wikipedia's Perfect and imperfect rhymes article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_and_imperfect_rhymes). WORD FAMILY is used as in Wikipedia's Phonics article (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonics): words that share the vowel and the consonants after it. SOUND-ALIKES: in (inn); the dictionary gives both one pronunciation and Wiktionary lists the pair. Bin can sound like been, which Wiktionary gives for American speech only; the sentence read with the word settles it. LEFT OUT: satin and bulletin (the dictionary gives an ending without the short i), mandolin (the dictionary also gives it with the stress on the first syllable), login (also logon), and two words by our choice for a list young children use. SENTENCES are ours, name no person, and none repeats a sentence in another list of this site (checked on 14 October 2026). Spellings are American. Licence: own work

How it works

Every word in the in word family ends in -in and rhymes with pin. Three lists hold 26 of them, from bin and win to begin and violin, each with a sentence; a fourth keeps cabin and robin apart.

Read the full guide

In word family words, list by list

List 1 has the eight short words: in, bin, din, fin, kin, pin, tin, win. List 2 puts two letters in front of -in: chin, shin, thin, grin, skin, spin, twin. List 3 has longer words that still rhyme, such as within, hairpin and clothespin.

Words that end in -in without the rhyme

In muffin, napkin, pumpkin and the rest of List 4 the stress falls on the first syllable and the -in goes by quickly. The American Heritage Dictionary still writes that ending with short i, so the spelling to learn is the same.

  • Win, pin, grin, spin and begin double the n before -ing: winning, pinning, grinning, spinning, beginning.

Questions and answers

Can I print in word family worksheets?

Yes. Open List 1 for the short words or List 2 for chin, grin and spin, then print it as a word list, a test sheet, an ABC order sheet or a missing letters sheet, on Letter or A4 paper.

Do rain and coin belong to the in word family?

No. A word family shares its sound as well as its last letters. In rain the letters ai spell long a, and in coin the letters oi spell another vowel, so neither rhymes with pin.

Do in and inn sound the same?

Yes. The American Heritage Dictionary gives both the same sound. In a test, the sentence read after the word says which one to write: in the top drawer, or a night at an inn.

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