Dolch Sight Words Flash Cards
6 sets
The Dolch sight words are 220 everyday words, plus 95 nouns, that make up over half of what children read. Edward Dolch grouped them by grade in 1936, and schools still use his lists today. Each set below is one full list, one word per card.
What are the Dolch sight words?
The Dolch sight words are 220 high-frequency words, plus 95 common nouns, that Edward Dolch collected from children's books in 1936. He split the 220 into five lists by grade: pre-primer (40 words), primer (52), 1st grade (41), 2nd grade (46) and 3rd grade (41). The nouns are a separate list of 95.
Together the 220 words make up more than half of the words in a typical children's book. Many of them can't be sounded out (the, said, of, once), so children learn to read them on sight. Most schools still teach them from pre-K to 3rd grade.
All 315 Dolch sight words, list by list
Pre-primer
There are 40 words on the Dolch pre-primer list.
- 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
Primer
There are 52 words on the Dolch primer list.
- 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
1st grade
There are 41 words on the Dolch 1st grade list.
- 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
2nd grade
There are 46 words on the Dolch 2nd grade list.
- 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
3rd grade
There are 41 words on the Dolch 3rd grade list.
- 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
Nouns
There are 95 words on the Dolch nouns list.
- 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
Dolch or Fry: which list to use?
Both lists are used in US schools and they overlap a lot. Dolch is the usual choice up to 3rd grade; Fry goes further.
| Dolch | Fry | |
|---|---|---|
| Words | 220, plus 95 nouns | 1,000 |
| Grouped by | Grade: pre-primer to 3rd grade | Frequency: ten lists of 100 |
| Grades | Pre-K to 3rd grade | 1st grade to about 5th grade |
| Published | 1936, Edward Dolch | 1957, updated 1980, Edward Fry |
| Nouns | Separate list of 95 | Mixed in with the other words |
Which Dolch list to start with
Start with pre-primer, even for a child who can already read a little. It is only 40 words, and knowing every one of them on sight builds confidence. Move on to the next list once the whole set comes easily.
The nouns are a good extra alongside pre-primer and primer. Each one names a thing a child can picture, so they are often the easiest cards in the pile.
Printing the cards
- Open a set and download the PDF.
- Print single-sided. There is nothing on the backs.
- Cut once down the middle, then across the rows.
Frequently asked questions
How many Dolch sight words are there?
315 in total: 220 service words in five grade lists, plus 95 nouns. The lists are pre-primer (40), primer (52), 1st grade (41), 2nd grade (46) and 3rd grade (41).
Which Dolch list should my child start with?
Pre-primer, even if your child can already read a few words. It is only 40 words, and knowing every one on sight builds confidence before the primer list.
Is there a Dolch list for 4th grade?
No. The Dolch lists stop at 3rd grade. After that, most schools move on to the Fry words, which go up to 1,000.
Can I print the Dolch words as a list?
Yes. The All lists PDF has every list on one printable word list, with a tick box next to each word so you can check off the ones your child knows. Each list page also has its own word list PDF.
Do I print the flash cards double-sided?
No. Sight word cards only have the word on the front, so print them single-sided and cut along the dashed lines.