this4 letters for 3 sounds: th, i, s. The th buzzes, as it does in the and that. T and h stand side by side at two heights: the h reaches the top line and the t stops short of it.
This thisCapital T beside small t. The capital carries its bar across the very top of the stick. The small t is crossed partway down. A sentence that points at something often opens with This.
this this thisThree to trace in one row. The s is the only letter here with no straight line in it, and its starting dot sits at the top right of the curve.
Show all 34 practice lines (31 more)
Spot-the-word rows 4
his this is this itsCircle this 2 times. His and is both hide inside this, and in both the s says z. Its has the t, the i and the s, with no h and the t in the wrong place.
thin this thing thisCircle this 2 times. Thin and thing start with the quiet th, made with breath alone. This starts with the buzzing one. All three words match for three letters, so the fourth letter decides.
this that this theCircle this 2 times. That and the open with the same buzzing th, so the first two letters give nothing away. Read to the end of each word.
this these this thoseCircle this 2 times. These is the word for more than one: this cup, these cups. Those does the same job for that.
Missing-letter rows 3
th__ __is t__sTwo letters are missing each time. The first gap is filled by a whole word, is, and the last by another, hi.
thi_ th_s t_is _hisOne letter is missing each time, working back from the s to the t. The last gap leaves his on the page, the small word that hides inside this.
this thi_ th__ t___The word fades from the right until only the t is left. A single s ends it, though miss, kiss and hiss rhyme with it and take two.
This thing, this time, this way 12
all of thisAll has the a of ball. Of is a word to show whole, because its f says v.
in this boxIn and box sound out, and the x in box says k and s together.
this and thatThe pair in one phrase: this for the near thing, that for the one farther off. And sounds out.
this bigSaid with hands held apart. Big sounds out. The phrase means nothing without the gesture, so act it.
this cup, that cupNear and far side by side. Set one cup within reach and one across the room, and read the line while pointing.
this is mineThis with its small twin is straight after it. The first s says s and the second says z. Mine has a silent e.
this muchMuch sounds out apart from its ch, two letters for one sound. Another phrase that needs a gesture.
this pagePage has a soft g and a silent e. A phrase for the corner of a reading log.
this side upWords from the side of a packing box. Side has a silent e, and up sounds out.
this timeTime has a silent e that makes its i long. This time means now, not last time.
this wayWay ends in a-y, two letters for one long a. Point while reading it: this way, not that way.
this weekThis with a stretch of time means the one we are in now. Week has a double e.
Sentences to read and copy 12
Can you do this?4 words. Can sounds out. You and do both end in an oo sound. A line for a copy-me game: clap, hop, then ask it.
Come and see this.4 words. Here this stands alone, with no thing named after it. And sounds out; come and see are words to show whole.
I like this book.4 words. Book has the double o of look, and like has a silent e. A line for a reading log.
I made this for you.5 words, the widest sentence in this list. A line for the front of a card. Made has a silent e.
Is this his hat?4 words. Is, this and his in a row: three words that share i and s, and only this ends in a true s sound. Hat sounds out.
Put this in the bin.5 words. In and bin sound out. Put looks as if it should rhyme with cut, and it does not.
Take this, not that.4 words and a comma. This and that are set against each other. Take has a silent e, and not sounds out.
This cat is his.4 words. This at one end and his at the other, four letters against three. Cat sounds out.
This is my mom.4 words. This opens the sentence, so it takes a capital T. Is follows with the same last two letters, and now the s says z. On the empty row, swap mom for my dad or my pal.
We go this way.4 words. We ends in a long e and go in a long o. Way ends in a-y. A line to read at the front of a line of children.
We swim this week.4 words. Swim starts with the blend s-w and sounds out. This week means the week we are in.
What is this?3 words and a question mark, the shortest sentence here. The a in what says a short u, so show that word whole.
How this list was compiled: Every line was written for this site on 2026-09-18 and read aloud for sense. No line is taken from a published sight word list or workbook, and the page claims no list or grade level for the word. Spellings were checked against the macOS system word list; box and mom are not entries there and were checked one by one. The counts in the spot-the-word rows and the word counts of the sentences were worked out. That this is said with a voiced th and a final s, rhymes with words in -iss, has the plural these, points at something nearby, and is recorded as sounding like diss in accents that turn th into d: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/this (pronunciation, rhymes, homophone and first determiner sense, checked 2026-09-19). That his and is both end in a z sound: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/his and https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/is (pronunciation, checked 2026-09-19). That almost all words beginning with th have the voiceless sound and a small set of function words, among them the, this, that, these, those, they, them, then and there, have the voiced one, and that both sounds are often not mastered before the age of five, with f and v used in their place: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_of_English_%E2%9F%A8th%E2%9F%A9 (checked 2026-09-19). Where the pencil starts the small t, h, i and s was read from the tool's own table for the Print letter style. Sound notes describe general American pronunciation. Licence: own work
How it works
The word this holds "his" and "is" inside it and gives their s another sound. The sight word this worksheet has the child trace it, circle it among that, his, the and these, and then finish ___ is my mom.
Read the full guide
A th that buzzes
Wikipedia's article on th says almost every word that starts with it has the quiet sound of thin, made with breath alone. A small set of common words buzzes instead: the, this, that, these, those, they, them, then, there. Have the child rest a hand on the throat and say thin, then this. Only the second one hums.
His and is are inside, but the s changes
Cover the t and "his" is left. Cover the th and "is" is left. Finding them helps the spelling, but the sound shifts: Wiktionary gives "his" and "is" a final z and "this" a true s. It rhymes with miss and kiss and ends in one s where they take two.
In "Is this his hat?" have the child underline every "is", inside longer words too. There are three.
Set one cup within reach and one across the room. Write "this cup, that cup", then read it while pointing.
In print letters the small t stops short of the top line and the h beside it reaches it.
Questions and answers
My student says dis or vis for this. Should I correct it?
Model it and move on. Wiktionary records the d form for accents that turn th into d. Wikipedia says th is often not mastered before age five, with many children using f and v until then. Ask only that the spelling starts with t-h.
Should this and that be taught together?
Yes, once each is read alone. They share th and point opposite ways. The full list near the bottom of this page pairs them in the row "this that this the" and in "Take this, not that." Only the sentence can go on the sheet.
Can the this sight word be sounded out?
Yes, once th is known as one buzzing sound. After it come a short i and a hissing s, both regular. The catch is spelling: one s, not the two of miss and kiss.