• 72 words

Nk Words

Words that end in nk, sorted by vowel, with two lists of -ng words to set beside them.

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List 1: -ank (bank)

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

  1. 1.bankDucks waddled up the muddy bank.
  2. 2.tankThree snails live in our fish tank.
  3. 3.sankThe toy boat sank in the bathtub.
  4. 4.rankPlease rank the snacks from best to worst.
  5. 5.thankI wrote a card to thank the librarian.
  6. 6.blankLeave one line blank between paragraphs.
  7. 7.drankThe puppy drank from the garden hose.
  8. 8.crankTurn the crank to open the awning.
  9. 9.prankHiding my slippers was a silly prank.
  10. 10.shrankMy sock shrank to the size of a mitten.
  11. 11.clankThe gate shut with a loud clank.
  12. 12.plankOne plank of the porch floor squeaks.

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Next step Fill in the ending on a word family worksheetNext ending: ck words by vowel

All 72 words

List 1: -ank (bank) 12

  • bank Ducks waddled up the muddy bank.
  • blank Leave one line blank between paragraphs.
  • clank The gate shut with a loud clank.
  • crank Turn the crank to open the awning.
  • drank The puppy drank from the garden hose.
  • plank One plank of the porch floor squeaks.
  • prank Hiding my slippers was a silly prank.
  • rank Please rank the snacks from best to worst.
  • sank The toy boat sank in the bathtub.
  • shrank My sock shrank to the size of a mitten.
  • tank Three snails live in our fish tank.
  • thank I wrote a card to thank the librarian.

List 2: -ink (pink) 12

  • blink Try not to blink during the photo.
  • brink The cart stopped at the brink of the hill.
  • clink Spoons clink against the cereal bowls.
  • drink Hummingbirds drink nectar from flowers.
  • ink The printer ran out of black ink.
  • link One link of the bike chain snapped.
  • mink A mink slipped into the stream.
  • pink She chose pink laces for her skates.
  • shrink Hot water can shrink a cotton shirt.
  • sink Stack the cups beside the sink.
  • think I think the library closes at five.
  • wink Grandpa gave me a wink across the table.

List 3: -onk and -unk (honk, junk) 12

  • bunk Camp cabins have a bunk for every scout.
  • chipmunk A chipmunk chattered from the stone wall.
  • chunk A chunk of ice slid off the roof.
  • clunk The old dryer stopped with a clunk.
  • dunk Gently dunk the brush in the rinse water.
  • honk A short honk told us the bus was here.
  • junk We cleared the junk out of the shed.
  • monk A monk in a brown robe rang the bell.
  • shrunk These mittens have shrunk in the wash.
  • skunk A skunk crossed the trail at dusk.
  • sunk The anchor had sunk into the sand.
  • trunk Moss grew on the north side of the trunk.

List 4: nk in the middle (blanket) 12

  • ankle The stream was only ankle deep.
  • blanket Spread the blanket under the maple tree.
  • bunker The golf ball rolled into a sand bunker.
  • crinkle Dry leaves crinkle under our boots.
  • donkey A gray donkey brayed behind the fence.
  • monkey The baby monkey rode on its mother's back.
  • sprinkle Now sprinkle a little cheese over the pasta.
  • tanker A tanker delivered water to the farm.
  • thankful We were thankful for the dry firewood.
  • trinket She keeps one trinket from every trip.
  • twinkle Tiny lights twinkle along the pier.
  • wrinkle A wrinkle in the map hid the lake.

List 5: -ang and -ing (sang, king) 12

  • bang The drummer ended with one loud bang.
  • bring Remember to bring your sneakers on gym day.
  • clang The clang of the bell ended recess.
  • cling Wet leaves cling to the windshield.
  • fang The model snake had one plastic fang.
  • hang You can hang your coat by the heater.
  • king The king in the story lost his crown.
  • sang The choir sang in the town square.
  • sting A nettle sting itches for a while.
  • string Tie the string around the parcel.
  • thing The first thing we packed was the map.
  • wing A moth dried one wing in the sun.

List 6: -ong and -ung (long, hung) 12

  • along Wildflowers grow along the bike path.
  • belong These boots belong on the bottom shelf.
  • gong One strike of the gong started the show.
  • hung Icicles hung from the gutter all week.
  • long The parade was three blocks long.
  • lung Each lung fills with air as you breathe.
  • song The robin has a cheerful morning song.
  • sprung A leak has sprung under the sink.
  • strong A strong wind bent the young trees.
  • stung A wasp stung the gardener's thumb.
  • sung The anthem was sung before the match.
  • swung The lantern swung from the tent pole.

How it works

These nk words are sorted by the vowel in front: -ank, -ink, then -onk and -unk, with one list for nk in the middle of a word. Two more lists hold -ng words, so sank can sit beside sang.

Read the full guide

The nk words list, vowel by vowel

List 1 is -ank (bank, drank, shrank), List 2 -ink (pink, think, shrink) and List 3 -onk and -unk (honk, junk, chipmunk). In List 4 the nk sits in the middle of a longer word: blanket, twinkle, donkey. Lists 5 and 6 are the -ng words: -ang and -ing (sang, king), then -ong and -ung (long, hung).

  • Set List 1 beside List 5: bank and bang, clank and clang differ only in the last sound.
  • Monk in List 3 and monkey in List 4 are spelled with o, but the dictionary gives both the vowel of junk.

Questions and answers

What sound does nk make?

Two sounds. The n is said like ng and the k follows: the dictionary writes bank as băngk and pink as pĭngk.

What is the difference between nk and ng words?

An -ng word stops on the ng sound, and an -nk word adds a k after it. Three pairs on these lists show it: sang and sank, thing and think, sung and sunk.

What are nk words for first grade?

Our suggestion is the four-letter words in Lists 1 to 3, such as bank, tank, pink, sink, honk and junk. Each is one consonant, one vowel and nk.

Does sink sound like another word?

Yes: sync, as in to sync two clocks, has the same sounds. The sentence read with sink is about cups, so the listener knows which one to write.

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