What are Dolch words?
Dolch words are a list of very common English words put together by Dr. Edward William Dolch in the 1930s and 1940s. He studied children’s books and found that a small group of words appeared again and again. Learning to read these words instantly helps children read more smoothly.
The list has 220 service words (like the, and, said, because) plus 95 common nouns (like apple, dog, house). These words make up roughly half of the words in typical children’s books.
Sight words and high-frequency words
You will hear several related terms:
- High-frequency words are words that appear very often in text.
- Sight words are words a reader knows instantly by sight, without sounding them out.
- Dolch words are one famous list of high-frequency words. (Another popular list is the Fry list.)
The goal is for Dolch words to become sight words: read in under a second.
The Dolch levels
The list is split into levels so children learn a few at a time.
| Level | Number of words | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-primer | 40 | a, and, big, can, go, I, see, the, you |
| Primer | 52 | all, are, came, did, good, have, like, said, was |
| First grade | 41 | after, could, every, going, had, know, put, them |
| Second grade | 46 | always, because, been, found, many, their, which |
| Third grade | 41 | about, better, carry, laugh, never, together |
| Nouns | 95 | apple, bird, father, school, tree, water |
Why are they important?
- Fluency. Readers who know these words instantly can read smoothly instead of stopping at every word. Fluency frees the brain to focus on meaning.
- Many are tricky. Words like said, was, of, one, could do not follow regular phonics rules, so they cannot easily be sounded out.
- They are everywhere. Knowing them quickly unlocks a big portion of any page.
Decodable or tricky?
Many Dolch words are actually decodable: you can sound them out (and, big, can, red, it). These should be read by sounding out at first, then practised until they are automatic.
Others have tricky parts. Some teachers call these heart words, because the tricky part must be learned "by heart".
- said: the ai says /e/
- was: the a says /u/ and the s says /z/
- of: the f says /v/
- the: the e says /uh/
Show children which letters are regular and put a heart over the tricky part. This is far more effective than memorizing whole words as shapes.
How to practise Dolch words
- Few at a time. Work on 5–10 words until they are fast, then add more.
- Map the sounds. Say the word, count the sounds, and match letters to sounds.
- Read them in context. Use short sentences and books, not just flashcards.
- Write them. Spelling a word helps the brain store it.
- Review often. Mix old words with new ones so they stay strong.
- Aim for speed. A word is mastered when it is read correctly in about one second.
Worked examples
Example 1: Which part of said is tricky? → ai, which says /e/.
Example 2: Is jump decodable? → Yes. /j/ /u/ /m/ /p/.
Example 3: Which level is because in? → Second grade.
Common mistakes
- Teaching only by flashcards without connecting letters to sounds.
- Teaching too many words at once.
- Skipping review, so words are forgotten.
- Treating every sight word as tricky when many can be sounded out.
Try it yourself
- Find the heart part: one, come, they.
- Read these quickly: the, and, you, said, was, have, there, what.
- Write a sentence using three Dolch words.
- Sort into decodable and tricky: went, of, it, could.
Answers: 1. one: whole word is irregular; come: o says /u/; they: ey says long a. 2. Read aloud. 3. Answers will vary, for example I can see the dog. 4. Decodable: went, it. Tricky: of, could.
Tip for families
Play sight word "Go Fish" with two cards for each word. To ask for a card, your child must read the word aloud. Swap in new words each week as old ones become easy.
Quick recap
- Dolch words are 220 common words plus 95 nouns.
- Knowing them instantly builds reading fluency.
- Many can be sounded out; tricky ones have heart parts.
- Practise a few at a time, in context, with plenty of review.