Dolch Sight Words: Lists by Grade and Age
The complete Dolch sight word lists (220 words and 95 nouns), with a printable list, flashcards, tracing sheets, bingo cards and an assessment checklist for each one. Free, no sign-up.
Downloads for all 220 grade words. Pick one list below for flashcards and tracing sheets.
Make your own sheet with the generatorChoose the lists, add your words, skip the ones your child knows. Flashcards, tracing, word search, bingo…Which Dolch list for which age?
The Dolch list names (Pre-Primer, Primer, Grade 1…) are reading levels, not strict school years. This table shows the usual match in US schools. If you are not sure where your child is, print the checklist and test: a child who reads about 90% of a list at once is ready for the next one.
| Age | Dolch list |
|---|---|
| 4-5 years | Pre-Primer (40 words) |
| 5-6 years | Primer (52 words) |
| 6-7 years | Grade 1 (41 words) |
| 7-8 years | Grade 2 (46 words) |
| 8-9 years | Grade 3 (41 words) |
| 5-9 years | Nouns (95 words) |
Looking for a Dolch list for a 7-year-old? Most 7-year-olds are on the Grade 1 or Grade 2 list, depending on their school year.
The 220 Dolch words, list by list
Dolch Pre-Primer40 words · ages 4-5
Printables and tips →- a
- and
- away
- big
- blue
- can
- come
- down
- find
- for
- funny
- go
- help
- here
- I
- in
- is
- it
- jump
- little
- look
- make
- me
- my
- not
- one
- play
- red
- run
- said
- see
- the
- three
- to
- two
- up
- we
- where
- yellow
- you
Dolch Primer52 words · ages 5-6
Printables and tips →- all
- am
- are
- at
- ate
- be
- black
- brown
- but
- came
- did
- do
- eat
- four
- get
- good
- have
- he
- into
- like
- must
- new
- no
- now
- on
- our
- out
- please
- pretty
- ran
- ride
- saw
- say
- she
- so
- soon
- that
- there
- they
- this
- too
- under
- want
- was
- well
- went
- what
- white
- who
- will
- with
- yes
Dolch Grade 141 words · ages 6-7
Printables and tips →- after
- again
- an
- any
- as
- ask
- by
- could
- every
- fly
- from
- give
- going
- had
- has
- her
- him
- his
- how
- just
- know
- let
- live
- may
- of
- old
- once
- open
- over
- put
- round
- some
- stop
- take
- thank
- them
- then
- think
- walk
- were
- when
Dolch Grade 246 words · ages 7-8
Printables and tips →- always
- around
- because
- been
- before
- best
- both
- buy
- call
- cold
- does
- don't
- fast
- first
- five
- found
- gave
- goes
- green
- its
- made
- many
- off
- or
- pull
- read
- right
- sing
- sit
- sleep
- tell
- their
- these
- those
- upon
- us
- use
- very
- wash
- which
- why
- wish
- work
- would
- write
- your
Dolch Grade 341 words · ages 8-9
Printables and tips →- about
- better
- bring
- carry
- clean
- cut
- done
- draw
- drink
- eight
- fall
- far
- full
- got
- grow
- hold
- hot
- hurt
- if
- keep
- kind
- laugh
- light
- long
- much
- myself
- never
- only
- own
- pick
- seven
- shall
- show
- six
- small
- start
- ten
- today
- together
- try
- warm
Dolch nouns95 words · any age from 5 to 9
Nouns by theme →- apple
- baby
- back
- ball
- bear
- bed
- bell
- bird
- birthday
- boat
- box
- boy
- bread
- brother
- cake
- car
- cat
- chair
- chicken
- children
- Christmas
- coat
- corn
- cow
- day
- dog
- doll
- door
- duck
- egg
- eye
- farm
- farmer
- father
- feet
- fire
- fish
- floor
- flower
- game
- garden
- girl
- goodbye
- grass
- ground
- hand
- head
- hill
- home
- horse
- house
- kitty
- leg
- letter
- man
- men
- milk
- money
- morning
- mother
- name
- nest
- night
- paper
- party
- picture
- pig
- rabbit
- rain
- ring
- robin
- Santa Claus
- school
- seed
- sheep
- shoe
- sister
- snow
- song
- squirrel
- stick
- street
- sun
- table
- thing
- time
- top
- toy
- tree
- watch
- water
- way
- wind
- window
- wood
Free printables for every list
Each list has the same set of sheets. Choose the type, then the list.
Dolch sight word flashcards
Big, clear flashcards for every Dolch list: 8 cards per A4 page, one word each, with cutting lines. Pick the list, download, cut, play.
Dolch tracing worksheets
Look at the word, trace it twice, then write it alone on the line. 10 words per A4 page for every Dolch list, no sign-up.
Dolch assessment checklist
Test your child on any Dolch list and keep track of what they know. Three tick boxes per word, one for each test date. Free PDF for every list.
Dolch sight word bingo
Eight different bingo cards and a caller list for each Dolch list. Print, call the words, and cover them with buttons or coins.
What the Dolch lists are, and how to use them
Edward W. Dolch, an American professor of education, published a list of 220 "service words" in 1936: the words that appear most often in children's books and that carry the sentence together (the, of, was, said, because). In 1948 he added 95 common nouns. Dolch estimated that the 220 words made up a large share of the words in the children's books of his time (his own figure was between 50% and 75%), which is why teachers still use them.
They are called sight words because the aim is to recognise them at a glance, in about three seconds, without sounding them out. Many of them cannot be sounded out easily (said, was, of, could), and the others are so frequent that reading is smoother when they are automatic. This does not replace phonics: children need both ways of reading.
A simple routine works at any age: test with the checklist, pick five words your child misses, practise them for five minutes a day with the flashcards and tracing sheets, and test again after two weeks. The pages for each list give word-by-word advice for the words that are hardest to learn.
Frequently asked questions
+What are the Dolch sight words?
A list of 220 very common English words (plus 95 nouns) compiled by Edward W. Dolch in 1936. Children are taught to recognise them instantly, because many cannot be sounded out easily (the, said, of, was) and they appear in most early books.
+How many Dolch words are there?
220 service words in five lists (Pre-Primer 40, Primer 52, Grade 1 41, Grade 2 46, Grade 3 41) and 95 nouns on a separate list: 315 words in all.
+Which Dolch list is right for my child's age?
Roughly: Pre-Primer at 4-5, Primer at 5-6, Grade 1 at 6-7, Grade 2 at 7-8 and Grade 3 at 8-9. The names are reading levels, not school years, so use the checklist: if your child reads about 90% of a list at once, move on to the next.
+Are the Dolch lists free to use?
Yes. The lists were published in 1936 and 1948 and are in the public domain. The printable PDFs on this site are free, with no sign-up.
+What is the difference between Dolch and Fry words?
Both are lists of frequent words. Dolch (220 words plus 95 nouns, 1936) is shorter and grouped by grade. Fry (1,000 words, 1950s, updated later) is longer and ordered by frequency. Many words are on both.
+Do sight words replace phonics?
No. Phonics teaches children to decode new words; sight words are the ones that appear so often (or break the rules so often) that they are worth knowing by heart. Children need both.
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