Sight Word What Worksheet

Press Print worksheet for 2 pages on the word "what" plus 1 page of answers, on Letter or A4 paper.

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NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatwhatTrace it. Then write it.Find "what". Circle it every time. How many did you find?Read it. Say it. Spell it aloud.whatwithwhatwhatthatwhywhatwhatwhowantwhatwhatwithhatwantthatwhatwheatwhen
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comWrite the missing word. Then read the sentence.Read the sentence. Then write it.Cut out the letters at the bottom. Glue them here in order to build the word.is that?What did he get?whta
NameDateMade at homeroomtools.comFind "what". Circle it every time. How many did you find?Write the missing word. Then read the sentence.Cut out the letters at the bottom. Glue them here in order to build the word.Read it. Say it. Spell it aloud.Answer keywhat7withwhatwhatthatwhywhatwhatwhowantwhatwhatwithhatwantthatwhatwheatwhenWhatis that?whatwhta
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The word "what" on 2 pages and 1 page of answers, Letter landscape.

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What goes on the sheet
Pick from the 12 sentences with "what"

The whole list is under the tool. With scripts on, each line here can be pressed to put it on the sheet.

Next step Make the sheet for want, another misleading a after wMake the sheet for when, a question word with the same h

The sight words and their practice lines

The word on its own 3

  • what 4 letters for 3 sounds: wh, a, t. The h and the t go tall, the w and the a stay between the lines. American speakers say it to rhyme with but.
  • What what Capital W beside small w. They have the same shape at two sizes, and the capital matters here because so many questions start with What.
  • what what what Three to trace, and the row is nearly full: w is the widest small letter in the print style.

Spot-the-word rows 4

  • what that what hat Circle what 2 times. That swaps the w for a t, and hat is the same word with its w taken off.
  • what wheat what Circle what 2 times. Wheat is the same four letters with an e slipped into the middle.
  • what who what why Circle what 2 times. Who and why are question words that start with w-h too, so the ending decides.
  • when what want Circle what 1 time. When shares the w-h, and want shares the w, the a and the t.
Show all 34 practice lines (27 more)

Missing-letter rows 3

  • _hat w__t wh__ First the w is missing, then the two middle letters, then the last two.
  • w_at w_nt w_s Write h, then a, then a to finish what, want and was. After a w, the letter a does not sound like the a in cat.
  • wha_ wh_t w_at One letter is missing each time: t, then a, then h. The h is the one children drop, because most speakers do not say it.

Short phrases with what 12

  • guess what The word comes last. Guess is one to read for the child: its u is silent.
  • what a fun day Not a question at all. Here the word shows surprise, and the line ends in an exclamation mark when it stands alone.
  • what a mess Surprise again, not a question. Mess sounds out and doubles its last letter.
  • what color A question starter for the crayon box. Color is a word to learn whole.
  • what for A short way to ask why. For has the or of corn.
  • what I like No question here either. I is always a capital, and like ends in a silent e.
  • what if The start of a wondering question. If sounds out: i, f.
  • what next A question starter. Next sounds out, and its x says k-s.
  • what now A question starter. Now has the ow of cow.
  • what time A question starter. Time has a silent e that makes the i say its name.
  • what to do What in the middle of a thought, as in Tell me what to do. To and do rhyme and neither sounds out.
  • what we saw A start for writing about a trip. We ends in a long e, and saw has the aw of paw.

Sentences to read and copy 12

  • Guess what I have. 4 words. It sounds like a question but is a command, so it ends in a period.
  • I see what you did. 5 words and a period. What sits in the middle, with a small w and no question to ask.
  • Look what I made. 4 words. What every child says holding up a drawing. Made has a silent e.
  • Tell me what to do. 5 words. Tell sounds out and doubles its l. What is the third word, with a small w.
  • What a big dog! 4 words and an exclamation mark. It starts with What and is still not a question. Big and dog sound out.
  • What can we do? 4 words. Can sounds out. We and do are words to learn whole.
  • What did he get? 4 words. Did and get sound out. He ends in a long e.
  • What if it rains? 4 words. If and it sound out. Rains has the ai of wait.
  • What is in the bag? 5 words, the widest sentence here. Is, in and bag sound out. Hide something in a bag and let the class guess.
  • What is that? 3 words and a question mark. What and that differ only in the first letter, so this line is the look-alike test.
  • What time is it? 4 words. A question to ask at the classroom clock. Is and it sound out.
  • What will we eat? 4 words, three of them starting with w. Will sounds out, and eat has the ea of sea.

How this list was compiled: Every line was written for this site in September 2026 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. The counts in the spot-the-word rows and the word counts of the sentences were worked out. That what rhymes with but and cut in the United States and Canada and with hot in British English, and that it comes from Old English hwæt: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/what and https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Rhymes:English/ʌt (checked 2026-09-19). That most speakers say wh exactly like w, and that Scotland and most of Ireland keep a separate hw sound: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pronunciation_of_English_⟨wh⟩ (checked 2026-09-19). That the a in want and was is not the a of cat either: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/want and https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/was (checked 2026-09-19). Sound notes describe general American pronunciation. Licence: own work

How it works

Most American children say wut, so the h and the a both go missing on paper. This sight word what sheet has them trace it and circle it among "that", "want", "when" and "hat". They finish the sentence ___ is that?

Read the full guide

The a says u, and the h says nothing

Wiktionary rhymes the American word with but and cut, and gives the British one the vowel of hot. Neither is the a of cat, so children write wut or wot. Want and was do the same after w. Write the row "w_at w_nt w_s", from the foot of this page, on the board. Old English spelled it hwæt, h first, and most speakers now say wh like w.

Not every What line is a question

Under Pick from the 12 sentences with "what", seven are questions that start with What. Five are not. "What a big dog!" is surprise and "Guess what I have." is a command. "I see what you did." carries the word in the middle with a small w. Press one to print it.

  • Write what and that one above the other. Only the first letter changes, and hat sits inside both.
  • Play "What is in the bag?" Hide a classroom object and let each child ask the question aloud.
  • Trace the w without lifting the pencil: down, up, down, up. The tall h starts at the top line.

Questions and answers

Why is the what sight word so hard to spell?

The ear hands over the wrong letters. Most American children hear w, short u and t, and write wut. For most speakers the h makes no sound of its own, so it gets dropped too.

Should I teach what with the other question words?

Both groupings help. That and want are the words children confuse it with by shape, so start there. Who, why and when share the w-h start. On the board, the row "what who what why" makes a child read to the end before circling.

How do I help a child who reads what as that?

Only the first letter differs, so have the child touch it and say its sound before reading on. Write the row "what that what hat" on the board and ask for 2 circles. Then read "What is that?" aloud, pointing at each word.

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