• 26 words

Ug Word Family

Words that end in -ug and rhyme with bug, in short lists to print or hear as a test.

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List 1: -ug, three letters (bug)

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.bugA green bug crawled along the leaf.
  2. 2.dugThe squirrel dug up last year's acorn.
  3. 3.hugGrandma gave me a big hug.
  4. 4.jugPour the lemonade from the glass jug.
  5. 5.lugWe had to lug the tent uphill.
  6. 6.mugCocoa steamed in my favorite mug.
  7. 7.pugThe little pug snored on the sofa.
  8. 8.rugShake the rug out on the porch.
  9. 9.tugGive the rope one gentle tug.

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Next step Another family, -in: pin, win, chinFlip cards for -ug, -un and -ub

All 26 words

List 1: -ug, three letters (bug) 9

  • bug A green bug crawled along the leaf.
  • dug The squirrel dug up last year's acorn.
  • hug Grandma gave me a big hug.
  • jug Pour the lemonade from the glass jug.
  • lug We had to lug the tent uphill.
  • mug Cocoa steamed in my favorite mug.
  • pug The little pug snored on the sofa.
  • rug Shake the rug out on the porch.
  • tug Give the rope one gentle tug.

List 2: two or three letters before -ug (plug) 6

  • chug We heard the old tractor chug past.
  • plug The lamp's plug has three metal prongs.
  • shrug He gave a quick shrug and kept walking.
  • slug A slug chewed holes in the lettuce.
  • smug He gave a smug smile after winning.
  • snug The kitten was snug in a shoebox.

List 3: longer words with bug and plug (ladybug) 11

  • debug It took an hour to debug the program.
  • doodlebug We watched a doodlebug in the dry sand.
  • earplug One earplug fell out during the swim.
  • fireplug The street crew painted the fireplug yellow.
  • humbug The grumpy man muttered humbug at the carolers.
  • jitterbug My grandparents danced the jitterbug at parties.
  • ladybug The ladybug had seven tiny black spots.
  • litterbug Nobody likes a litterbug at the park.
  • mealybug A mealybug hid under the plant's leaf.
  • shutterbug Our shutterbug aunt photographs every picnic.
  • unplug Remember to unplug the toaster after breakfast.

How it works

The ug word family is the group of words that end in -ug and rhyme with bug. All 26 here have the short u of cup, from hug, mug and rug to shrug, unplug and ladybug.

Read the full guide

Ug word family words in three lists

List 1 is the nine three-letter words: bug, dug, hug, jug, lug, mug, pug, rug, tug. List 2 puts two or three letters in front: chug, plug, slug, smug, snug, shrug. List 3 builds longer words on bug and plug: litterbug, jitterbug, doodlebug, earplug.

Bug words that are not insects

Not every bug on List 3 is an insect. In the American Heritage Dictionary a litterbug is someone who drops trash in public places, a shutterbug is a keen amateur photographer, the jitterbug is a dance to swing music and humbug is nonsense. Ladybug and mealybug are insects; a doodlebug is an antlion's larva.

  • Hug, tug, lug, plug, chug and shrug double the g before an ending: hugged, tugging, plugged, shrugged.

Questions and answers

Can I print an ug word family worksheet?

Yes. Choose one of the three lists and print it as a word list with a sentence for each word, a test sheet, an ABC order sheet or a missing letters sheet.

What vowel sound do ug words have?

Short u, the vowel of cup and sun. The American Heritage Dictionary writes it ŭ, so bug is (bŭg) and shrug is (shrŭg).

Is dug an ug family word or a form of dig?

Both. Dug rhymes with bug and belongs on List 1, and it is also the past tense of dig, so the vowel changes from short i to short u: I dig today, I dug yesterday.

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