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Phoneme Segmentation Word List, Sorted from 2 to 6 Sounds

Say the word, let your pupil say each sound, then show the split to check.

Phoneme Segmentation Word List, Sorted from 2 to 6 Sounds

fly

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All 230 words

2 sounds 30

  • am a, m.
  • at a, t.
  • boy b, oy.
  • car c, ar. The ar is one r-controlled sound.
  • chair ch, air. The air is one r-controlled sound.
  • chew ch, ew.
  • cow c, ow.
  • day d, ay.
  • eat ea, t.
  • egg e, gg.
  • go g, o.
  • her h, er. The er is one r-controlled sound.
  • it i, t.
  • itch i, tch.
  • key k, ey.
  • knee kn, ee. The k is silent.
  • me m, e.
  • my m, y.
  • off o, ff.
  • on o, n.
  • out ou, t.
  • pie p, ie.
  • saw s, aw.
  • see s, ee.
  • she sh, e.
  • show sh, ow.
  • shy sh, y.
  • toe t, oe.
  • up u, p.
  • zoo z, oo.

3 sounds 67

  • bath b, a, th.
  • bed b, e, d.
  • bell b, e, ll.
  • bike b, i_e, k. The silent e makes the i long.
  • bird b, ir, d. The ir is one r-controlled sound.
  • boat b, oa, t.
  • book b, oo, k.
  • bus b, u, s.
  • cake c, a_e, k. The silent e makes the a long.
  • cat c, a, t.
  • cheese ch, ee, se. The se spells one sound, z.
  • chin ch, i, n.
  • chop ch, o, p.
  • church ch, ur, ch.
  • coin c, oi, n.
  • cup c, u, p.
  • dog d, o, g.
  • draw d, r, aw.
  • duck d, u, ck.
  • farm f, ar, m.
  • feet f, ee, t.
  • fish f, i, sh.
  • fly f, l, y.
  • fork f, or, k. The or is one r-controlled sound.
  • girl g, ir, l.
  • hat h, a, t.
  • home h, o_e, m. The silent e makes the o long.
  • horse h, or, se.
  • house h, ou, se.
  • judge j, u, dge. The dge spells one sound, j.
  • king k, i, ng.
  • kite k, i_e, t.
  • knife kn, i_e, f. The k is silent, and so is the e.
  • light l, igh, t.
  • map m, a, p.
  • match m, a, tch.
  • moon m, oo, n.
  • moth m, o, th.
  • net n, e, t.
  • night n, igh, t. The igh is one sound.
  • nose n, o_e, s.
  • peach p, ea, ch.
  • phone ph, o_e, n.
  • pig p, i, g.
  • play p, l, ay.
  • rain r, ai, n.
  • ring r, i, ng. The ng is one sound.
  • shark sh, ar, k.
  • sheep sh, ee, p.
  • ship sh, i, p.
  • shop sh, o, p.
  • shout sh, ou, t.
  • sky s, k, y.
  • snow s, n, ow.
  • sock s, o, ck.
  • song s, o, ng.
  • star s, t, ar. The ar is one r-controlled sound.
  • sun s, u, n.
  • teeth t, ee, th.
  • thin th, i, n.
  • this th, i, s.
  • three th, r, ee.
  • thumb th, u, mb. The b is silent.
  • town t, ow, n.
  • tree t, r, ee.
  • whale wh, a_e, l.
  • wheel wh, ee, l.

4 sounds 62

  • bench b, e, n, ch.
  • box b, o, x. The letter x spells 2 sounds, k and s.
  • bridge b, r, i, dge.
  • bright b, r, igh, t.
  • brush b, r, u, sh.
  • chest ch, e, s, t.
  • child ch, i, l, d.
  • clap c, l, a, p.
  • clock c, l, o, ck.
  • cloud c, l, ou, d.
  • crab c, r, a, b.
  • desk d, e, s, k.
  • dress d, r, e, ss.
  • drum d, r, u, m.
  • find f, i, n, d.
  • first f, ir, s, t.
  • flag f, l, a, g.
  • fox f, o, x. The letter x spells 2 sounds, k and s.
  • frog f, r, o, g.
  • gold g, o, l, d.
  • grass g, r, a, ss.
  • green g, r, ee, n.
  • hand h, a, n, d.
  • jump j, u, m, p.
  • lamp l, a, m, p.
  • lunch l, u, n, ch.
  • milk m, i, l, k.
  • nest n, e, s, t.
  • paint p, ai, n, t.
  • pink p, i, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • plug p, l, u, g.
  • queen qu, ee, n. The letters qu spell 2 sounds, k and w.
  • quick qu, i, ck. The letters qu spell 2 sounds, k and w.
  • quit qu, i, t. The letters qu spell 2 sounds, k and w.
  • scarf s, c, ar, f.
  • screw s, c, r, ew.
  • shelf sh, e, l, f.
  • six s, i, x. The letter x spells 2 sounds, k and s.
  • skip s, k, i, p.
  • skirt s, k, ir, t.
  • sled s, l, e, d.
  • sleep s, l, ee, p.
  • slide s, l, i_e, d.
  • smell s, m, e, ll.
  • snake s, n, a_e, k.
  • soft s, o, f, t.
  • spoon s, p, oo, n.
  • spot s, p, o, t.
  • spray s, p, r, ay.
  • start s, t, ar, t.
  • step s, t, e, p.
  • stone s, t, o_e, n.
  • stop s, t, o, p.
  • storm s, t, or, m.
  • straw s, t, r, aw.
  • swim s, w, i, m.
  • tent t, e, n, t.
  • think th, i, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • toast t, oa, s, t.
  • train t, r, ai, n.
  • trip t, r, i, p.
  • truck t, r, u, ck.

5 sounds 50

  • blend b, l, e, n, d.
  • blink b, l, i, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • branch b, r, a, n, ch.
  • clamp c, l, a, m, p.
  • craft c, r, a, f, t.
  • crisp c, r, i, s, p.
  • crunch c, r, u, n, ch.
  • crust c, r, u, s, t.
  • drift d, r, i, f, t.
  • drink d, r, i, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • frogs f, r, o, g, s. The s is said as z.
  • frost f, r, o, s, t.
  • grand g, r, a, n, d.
  • ground g, r, ou, n, d.
  • hands h, a, n, d, s. The s is said as z.
  • plant p, l, a, n, t.
  • plump p, l, u, m, p.
  • print p, r, i, n, t.
  • scrape s, c, r, a_e, p.
  • scream s, c, r, ea, m.
  • screen s, c, r, ee, n.
  • scrub s, c, r, u, b.
  • shrimp sh, r, i, m, p.
  • shrink sh, r, i, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • skunk s, k, u, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • slept s, l, e, p, t.
  • spend s, p, e, n, d.
  • splash s, p, l, a, sh.
  • split s, p, l, i, t.
  • sports s, p, or, t, s.
  • spring s, p, r, i, ng. The ng is one sound.
  • sprout s, p, r, ou, t.
  • squid s, qu, i, d. The letters qu spell 2 sounds, k and w.
  • stamp s, t, a, m, p.
  • stand s, t, a, n, d.
  • strap s, t, r, a, p.
  • stream s, t, r, ea, m.
  • street s, t, r, ee, t.
  • stretch s, t, r, e, tch.
  • strike s, t, r, i_e, k.
  • string s, t, r, i, ng.
  • stripe s, t, r, i_e, p.
  • strong s, t, r, o, ng.
  • stump s, t, u, m, p.
  • swept s, w, e, p, t.
  • swift s, w, i, f, t.
  • trunk t, r, u, n, k. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • trust t, r, u, s, t.
  • twelve t, w, e, l, ve.
  • twist t, w, i, s, t.

6 sounds 21

  • blends b, l, e, n, d, s.
  • crafts c, r, a, f, t, s.
  • drinks d, r, i, n, k, s. Before k, the n is said as ng.
  • plants p, l, a, n, t, s.
  • prints p, r, i, n, t, s.
  • scraps s, c, r, a, p, s.
  • screens s, c, r, ee, n, s.
  • script s, c, r, i, p, t.
  • splint s, p, l, i, n, t.
  • splits s, p, l, i, t, s.
  • springs s, p, r, i, ng, s.
  • sprint s, p, r, i, n, t.
  • squint s, qu, i, n, t. The letters qu spell 2 sounds, k and w.
  • stamps s, t, a, m, p, s.
  • stands s, t, a, n, d, s.
  • strand s, t, r, a, n, d.
  • streams s, t, r, ea, m, s.
  • streets s, t, r, ee, t, s.
  • strict s, t, r, i, c, t.
  • strings s, t, r, i, ng, s.
  • trunks t, r, u, n, k, s. Before k, the n is said as ng.

How it works

This phoneme segmentation word list holds 230 one-syllable words, sorted by how many sounds they have: from 2 (at, she) to 6 (sprint). Every word comes with its split, so ship reads sh, i, p: 3 sounds.

Read the full guide

Run a round

The deck opens on 3 sounds. Say the word on the card aloud and keep the screen to yourself. Your pupil says each sound and raises a finger for each one. Press Show answer to check the split, then Next word.

Choose a sound count

Under Show only, press 2 sounds up to 6 sounds. Two and three sounds suit kindergarten. Four and five bring in blends such as fr and mp, where each letter keeps its own sound.

How the sounds are counted

Splits follow General American speech, not spelling. Letters that team up for one sound stay together: sh, ch, th, ng, ck, ai, igh. A vowel with its r counts as one sound, and x counts as two.

  • Start with words that open on a sound you can stretch, like s, m or f: sun, map, fish.
  • Count sounds, not letters: thumb has 5 letters and 3 sounds.
  • Move up to 4 sounds with short vowel words such as frog and lamp.

Questions and answers

What is phoneme segmentation?

It is breaking a spoken word into its separate sounds, in order: ship is sh, i, p. It is done by ear, with no letters in view, and pupils lean on it when they spell a word sound by sound.

What are some 5 phoneme words?

Plant, stamp, crisp and blend. In plant, each of the 5 letters is its own sound: p, l, a, n, t. Press 5 sounds for the full 5 phoneme words list, 50 words, most with a blend at each end.

How many phonemes are in box and queen?

Four each. The letter x spells two sounds, k and s, so box is said b, o, k, s. The letters qu spell k and w, so queen is said k, w, ee, n.

What grade is phoneme segmentation for?

Kindergarten and first grade. The Common Core asks kindergartners to say the first, middle and last sound of three-sound words (RF.K.2.D), and first graders to segment one-syllable words into all their sounds (RF.1.2.D).

Does an r-controlled vowel count as one phoneme?

On this list, yes. In General American speech the vowel and the r in car, fork and bird run together, so car has 2 sounds: c, ar. Some programs count the r on its own. Follow the one your school uses.

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