Free Phonics Worksheets Ow & Ou

Press Print worksheet for fifteen words to sort: ou as in out, ow as in cow, ow as in snow.

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Made at homeroomtools.comWord boxSort the words of the word box. Write each word under its heading.Spelling: sort by listList 1: ou as in outList 2: ow as in cowList 3: ow as in snowmouthsnowfrowntowncrowdglowcloudcrownfoundlowsouthflowthrowsoundnow
Made at homeroomtools.comSort the words of the word box. Write each word under its heading.Spelling: sort by listAnswer keyList 1: ou as in outList 2: ow as in cowList 3: ow as in snowmouthsoundcloudsouthfoundcrowntowncrowdfrownnowthrowsnowflowglowlow
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15 words from 3 lists, sort by list, on 1 page and 1 page of answers, Letter portrait.

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The spelling lists

List 1: ou as in out 8

  • cloud The sound of out is spelled ou, between cl and d.
  • found The sound of out is spelled ou, between f and nd.
  • house The sound of out is spelled ou, between h and se.
  • mouth The sound of out is spelled ou, between m and th.
  • out The sound of out is spelled ou, at the start, before t.
  • proud The sound of out is spelled ou, between pr and d.
  • sound The sound of out is spelled ou, between s and nd.
  • south The sound of out is spelled ou, between s and th.

List 2: ow as in cow 8

  • cow Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after c.
  • crowd Here ow says the sound of out, between cr and d.
  • crown Here ow says the sound of out, between cr and n.
  • frown Here ow says the sound of out, between fr and n.
  • growl Here ow says the sound of out, between gr and l.
  • now Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after n.
  • plow Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after pl.
  • town Here ow says the sound of out, between t and n.
Show all 160 words (144 more)

List 3: ow as in snow 8

  • blow Here ow says long o, at the end, after bl.
  • flow Here ow says long o, at the end, after fl.
  • glow Here ow says long o, at the end, after gl.
  • grow Here ow says long o, at the end, after gr.
  • know Here ow says long o, at the end, after kn. Sound-alike: no.
  • low Here ow says long o, at the end, after l.
  • snow Here ow says long o, at the end, after sn.
  • throw Here ow says long o, at the end, after thr.

List 4: oi as in coin 8

  • avoid The oy sound is spelled oi, between v and d.
  • choice The oy sound is spelled oi, between ch and ce.
  • coil The oy sound is spelled oi, between c and l.
  • coin The oy sound is spelled oi, between c and n.
  • foil The oy sound is spelled oi, between f and l.
  • moist The oy sound is spelled oi, between m and st.
  • oil The oy sound is spelled oi, at the start, before l.
  • spoil The oy sound is spelled oi, between sp and l.

List 5: oy as in boy 8

  • annoy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after nn.
  • boy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after b.
  • decoy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after c.
  • destroy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after str.
  • employ The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after mpl.
  • joy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after j.
  • toy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after t.
  • voyage The oy sound is spelled oy, between v and age.

List 6: ou as in scout 8

  • ground The sound of out is spelled ou, between gr and nd.
  • hound The sound of out is spelled ou, between h and nd.
  • pound The sound of out is spelled ou, between p and nd.
  • scout The sound of out is spelled ou, between sc and t.
  • snout The sound of out is spelled ou, between sn and t.
  • spout The sound of out is spelled ou, between sp and t.
  • sprout The sound of out is spelled ou, between spr and t.
  • trout The sound of out is spelled ou, between tr and t.

List 7: ow as in brown 8

  • brown Here ow says the sound of out, between br and n.
  • clown Here ow says the sound of out, between cl and n.
  • drown Here ow says the sound of out, between dr and n.
  • gown Here ow says the sound of out, between g and n.
  • how Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after h.
  • owl Here ow says the sound of out, at the start, before l.
  • prowl Here ow says the sound of out, between pr and l.
  • scowl Here ow says the sound of out, between sc and l.

List 8: ow as in yellow 8

  • borrow Here ow says long o, at the end, after rr.
  • follow Here ow says long o, at the end, after ll.
  • hollow Here ow says long o, at the end, after ll.
  • meadow Here ow says long o, at the end, after d.
  • shallow Here ow says long o, at the end, after ll.
  • sparrow Here ow says long o, at the end, after rr.
  • willow Here ow says long o, at the end, after ll.
  • yellow Here ow says long o, at the end, after ll.

List 9: au as in sauce 8

  • cause The aw sound is spelled au, between c and se.
  • clause The aw sound is spelled au, between cl and se.
  • fault The aw sound is spelled au, between f and lt.
  • gauze The aw sound is spelled au, between g and ze.
  • haunt The aw sound is spelled au, between h and nt.
  • launch The aw sound is spelled au, between l and nch.
  • sauce The aw sound is spelled au, between s and ce.
  • vault The aw sound is spelled au, between v and lt.

List 10: aw as in saw 8

  • crawl The aw sound is spelled aw, between cr and l.
  • hawk The aw sound is spelled aw, between h and k.
  • jaw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after j.
  • paw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after p.
  • raw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after r.
  • saw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after s.
  • shawl The aw sound is spelled aw, between sh and l.
  • thaw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after th.

List 11: ou as in about 8

  • about The sound of out is spelled ou, between b and t.
  • amount The sound of out is spelled ou, between m and nt.
  • around The sound of out is spelled ou, between r and nd.
  • fountain The sound of out is spelled ou, between f and n.
  • mountain The sound of out is spelled ou, between m and n.
  • outside The sound of out is spelled ou, at the start, before t.
  • thousand The sound of out is spelled ou, between th and s.
  • without The sound of out is spelled ou, between th and t.

List 12: ow as in flower 8

  • drowsy Here ow says the sound of out, between dr and sy.
  • flower Here ow says the sound of out, between fl and er. Sound-alike: flour.
  • powder Here ow says the sound of out, between p and der.
  • power Here ow says the sound of out, between p and er.
  • rowdy Here ow says the sound of out, between r and dy.
  • towel Here ow says the sound of out, between t and el.
  • trowel Here ow says the sound of out, between tr and el.
  • vowel Here ow says the sound of out, between v and el.

List 13: oi as in point 8

  • broil The oy sound is spelled oi, between br and l.
  • hoist The oy sound is spelled oi, between h and st.
  • joint The oy sound is spelled oi, between j and nt.
  • noise The oy sound is spelled oi, between n and se.
  • point The oy sound is spelled oi, between p and nt.
  • poison The oy sound is spelled oi, between p and son.
  • toilet The oy sound is spelled oi, between t and let.
  • voice The oy sound is spelled oi, between v and ce.

List 14: oy as in royal 8

  • enjoy The oy sound is spelled oy, at the end, after nj.
  • joyful The oy sound is spelled oy, between j and ful.
  • loyal The oy sound is spelled oy, between l and al.
  • loyalty The oy sound is spelled oy, between l and a.
  • oyster The oy sound is spelled oy, at the start, before s.
  • royal The oy sound is spelled oy, between r and al.
  • royalty The oy sound is spelled oy, between r and a.
  • soybean The oy sound is spelled oy, between s and b.

List 15: ou as in couch 8

  • bounce The sound of out is spelled ou, between b and nce.
  • couch The sound of out is spelled ou, between c and ch.
  • crouch The sound of out is spelled ou, between cr and ch.
  • flour The sound of out is spelled ou, between fl and r. Sound-alike: flower.
  • hour The sound of out is spelled ou, between h and r. Sound-alike: our.
  • ounce The sound of out is spelled ou, at the start, before nce.
  • pouch The sound of out is spelled ou, between p and ch.
  • sour The sound of out is spelled ou, between s and r.

List 16: ow as in allow 8

  • allow Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after ll.
  • browse Here ow says the sound of out, between br and se.
  • chowder Here ow says the sound of out, between ch and der.
  • downtown Here ow says the sound of out, between wnt and n.
  • eyebrow Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after br.
  • powerful Here ow says the sound of out, between p and e.
  • somehow Here ow says the sound of out, at the end, after h.
  • sunflower Here ow says the sound of out, between nfl and er.

List 17: ow as in grown 8

  • below Here ow says long o, at the end, after l.
  • bowl Here ow says long o, between b and l.
  • grown Here ow says long o, between gr and n. Sound-alike: groan.
  • growth Here ow says long o, between gr and th.
  • known Here ow says long o, between kn and n.
  • own Here ow says long o, at the start, before n.
  • thrown Here ow says long o, between thr and n. Sound-alike: throne.
  • tomorrow Here ow says long o, at the end, after rr.

List 18: oi as in appoint 8

  • appoint The oy sound is spelled oi, between pp and nt.
  • asteroid The oy sound is spelled oi, between r and d.
  • disappoint The oy sound is spelled oi, between pp and nt.
  • moisture The oy sound is spelled oi, between m and s.
  • noisy The oy sound is spelled oi, between n and sy.
  • ointment The oy sound is spelled oi, at the start, before n.
  • pinpoint The oy sound is spelled oi, between np and nt.
  • rejoice The oy sound is spelled oi, between j and ce.

List 19: au as in autumn 8

  • applaud The aw sound is spelled au, between ppl and d.
  • astronaut The aw sound is spelled au, between n and t.
  • author The aw sound is spelled au, at the start, before t.
  • autumn The aw sound is spelled au, at the start, before t.
  • exhaust The aw sound is spelled au, between xh and st.
  • laundry The aw sound is spelled au, between l and n.
  • saucer The aw sound is spelled au, between s and cer.
  • sausage The aw sound is spelled au, between s and s.

List 20: aw as in draw 8

  • awful The aw sound is spelled aw, at the start, before ful.
  • claw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after cl.
  • draw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after dr.
  • jigsaw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after gs.
  • seesaw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after s.
  • straw The aw sound is spelled aw, at the end, after str.
  • strawberry The aw sound is spelled aw, between str and b.
  • yawn The aw sound is spelled aw, between y and n.

How this list was compiled: Our own selection and grouping of 160 English words, twenty lists of eight, one spelling and one sound to a list, with our own hints: ou and ow for the sound of out and cow, ow for the long o of snow, oi and oy, au and aw. The letters left out of every word are the two letters that spell the sound. Every word has an English entry at https://en.wiktionary.org/ (license CC BY-SA 4.0), read on 2026-10-03, and was checked the same day in the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary, a record of General American pronunciation (https://github.com/cmusphinx/cmudict), where every listed pronunciation must have the sound its list names, and an ow word must not have the other ow sound. Every Wiktionary entry prints a pronunciation with the sound of its list. In the au and aw lists the dictionary's two vowels of cot and caught both count, since many American speakers say them alike. Bow and sow are left out because each is two words, one with each sound; flower, crown and low are the everyday words, though Wiktionary also lists a rare or old word with the same spelling and the other sound, as well as an obsolete form of prowl and a British form of own. Each hint that names a sound-alike names a word with the same pronunciation in the pronouncing dictionary. The spellings (ou and ow; oi and oy; au and aw) are in the table of sounds and spellings at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_orthography, and the two sounds of cow and boil are named as diphthongs at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonics; both were read on 2026-10-03. Spellings are American. No published word list or reading program was copied. Licence: own work

How it works

Ou and ow spell one sound in out and cow, and ow also spells the long o of snow. The sheet on show sorts all three. Twenty lists of eight go on to oi, oy, au and aw.

Read the full guide

Ow phonics worksheets: two sounds

Lists 2, 7, 12 and 16 hold ow as in cow; Lists 3, 8 and 17 hold ow as in snow. No list mixes them. A sort takes five words from the list on show and five from each of the next two: change the list under More options, Word list.

Oi and oy, au and aw

List 4 sorts oi and oy against ou (coin, boy, scout). List 9 sorts au and aw against ou (sauce, saw, about). For one spelling alone, choose Missing letters under What goes on the sheet: c__n for coin, s__ for saw.

  • Bow and sow are on no list: each is two words, one for each sound of ow.
  • The hints under the tool name sound-alikes: flour and flower, hour and our, know and no.

Questions and answers

Do ou and ow make the same sound?

In out and cow, yes: two spellings, one sound. But ow has a second sound, the long o of snow, grow and yellow. That is why the first sheet has three headings.

What is a vowel diphthong?

A sound that fuses two vowel sounds into one. The two commonly named are the sound of cow, spelled ou or ow, and the sound of boil, spelled oi or oy.

Which lists are au aw phonics worksheets?

Lists 9 and 19 are au (sauce, launch, autumn, laundry); Lists 10 and 20 are aw (saw, hawk, draw, strawberry). Au and aw spell the same sound.

Are there oi and oy worksheets for 2nd grade?

Lists 4, 5, 13, 14 and 18 hold oi and oy words, from coin and boy to moisture and loyalty. The grade is our suggestion, not a school's list.

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