How it works
These 2 letter sight words are 24 common words a first reader meets early, from am and at to of and to. Each card has a short sentence on the back. The choice is ours, not a published list.
Read the full guide
Three sets of two letter sight words
The page opens on the Sound out set, nine words with a short vowel: am, an, at, if, in, it, on, up, us. Long vowel at the end has nine where the vowel says its name or y says i: be, he, me, we, go, no, so, by, my. Tricky part has six to learn by heart: is, as, of, to, do, or.
Flip, then print
Show the word and let the child read it, then turn the card and read the sentence together. Pick a set under Show only, turn a card and press the print button under the card: each set fits one sheet of Letter or A4, and all 24 take two.
- Teach be, he, me and we together: one pattern, four words.
- Is and as end in the sound /z/, not /s/. Say his and has next to them.
- To, do and of cannot be sounded out letter by letter, so show them often.
Questions and answers
What are the 2 letter sight words?
Our list has 24: am, an, as, at, be, by, do, go, he, if, in, is, it, me, my, no, of, on, or, so, to, up, us and we.
Which two-letter words can a child sound out?
Nine have a short vowel and sound out letter by letter: am, an, at, if, in, it, on, up and us. Nine more follow one rule, a long vowel at the end of the word, as in he, go and my.
Why is the word of hard to read?
Neither letter makes its usual sound. The o says /u/, as in cup, and the f says /v/. Children learn it by sight, in short phrases such as a cup of milk.
Is this a published sight word list?
No. The 24 words are our own choice of common two-letter words of English. No published list is copied, so check the words against the list your school uses.