Dolch Sight Words

Dolch sight words

Dolch sight words are a list of the 220 most frequently encountered words in children’s literature and are commonly used as a teaching tool for reading, writing and spelling.

Prepared back 1936 by E. W. Dolch, the list does contain words that are no longer in common usage, such as shall and upon. The list forms a good basis of common words for children to learn between the ages of 5 and 8.

Many of the 220 words in the Dolch list, can not be “sounded out”, and must be learned by sight, which is why the list is often referred to as “Dolch Sight Word List”, and the words on it, as “Dolch Sight Words”.

Dolch excluded nouns from his main list, but did compile a separate 95-word list of nouns.

Listed in the order of frequency:

the	down	blue	yellow	write	under
to	do	red	five	always	read
and	can	from	six	drink	why
he	could	good	walk	once	own
a	when	any	two	soon	found
I	did	about	or	made	wash
you	what	around	before	run	slow
it	so	want	eat	gave	hot
of	see	don’t	again	open	because
in	not	how	play	has	far
was	were	know	who	find	live
said	get	right	been	only	draw
his	them	put	may	us	clean
that	like	too	stop	three	grow
she	one	got	off	our	best
for	this	take	never	better	upon
on	my	where	seven	hold	these
they	would	every	eight	buy	sing
but	me	pretty	cold	funny	together
had	will	jump	today	warm	please
at	yes	green	fly	ate	thank
him	big	four	myself	full	wish
with	went	away	round	those	many
up	are	old	tell	done	shall
all	come	by	much	use	laugh
look	if	their	keep	fast
is	now	here	give	say
her	long	saw	work	light
there	no	call	first	pick
some	came	after	try	hurt
out	ask	well	new	pull
as	very	think	must	cut
be	an	ran	start	kind
have	over	let	black	both
go	yours	help	white	sit
we	its	make	ten	which
am	ride	going	does	fall
then	into	sleep	bring	carry
little	just	brown	goes	small