The following are the ‘top 100 hundred high frequency words’, as listed in Letters and Sounds.
|
Word
|
sounds
|
spellings
|
Notes
|
|
the
|
/th/ /schwa/ or /ee/,
depending on context
|
[ th ] [ e ]
|
|
|
and
|
/a/ /n/ /d/
|
[ a ] [ n ] [ d ]
|
|
|
a
|
/a/ /ae/ or /schwa/,
depending on context
|
[ a ]
|
/ae/ is the sound you hear in ‘rain’, ‘say’ and ‘made’.
|
|
to
|
/t/ /oo/
|
[ t ] [ o ]
|
|
|
said
|
/s/ /e/ /d/
|
[ s ] [ ai ] [d ]
|
[ ai ] is a very infrequently encountered spelling of the sound /e/ in a very commonly encountered word.
|
|
in
|
/i/ /n/
|
[ i ] [n ]
|
|
|
he
|
/h/ /ee/
|
[ h ] [ e ]
|
|
|
I
|
/ie/ (as in ‘tie’)
|
[ i ]
|
|
|
of
|
/o/ /v/
|
[ o ] [ f ]
|
|
|
it
|
/i/ /t/
|
[i ] [ t ]
|
|
|
was
|
/w/ /o/ /z/
|
[ w ] [ a ] [ s ]
|
The spelling [ a ] representing the sound /o/ is a frequent pattern in words following the sound /w/.
|
|
you
|
/y/ /oo/
|
[ y ] [ ou ]
|
|
|
they
|
/th/ (voiced) /ae/
|
[ th ] [ey ]
|
|
|
on
|
/o/ /n/
|
[ o ] [n ]
|
|
|
she
|
/sh/ /ee/
|
[ sh ] [ e ]
|
|
|
is
|
/i/ /z/
|
[ i ] [ s ]
|
|
|
for
|
/f/ /or/
|
[ f ] [ or ]
|
|
|
at
|
/a/ /t/
|
[ a ] [ t ]
|
|
|
his
|
/h/ /i/ /z/
|
[ h ] [ i ] [ s ]
|
|
|
but
|
/b/ /u/ /t/
|
[ b ] [ u ] [ t ]
|
|
|
that
|
/th/ (voiced) /a/ /t/
|
[ th ] [ a ] [ t ]
|
|
|
with
|
/w/ /i/ /th/ (voiced)
|
[ w ] [ i ] [ th ]
|
|
|
all
|
/or/ /l/
|
[ a ] [ ll ]
|
|
|
we
|
/w/ /ee/
|
[ w ] [ e ]
|
|
|
can
|
/k/ /a/ /n/
|
[ c ] [ a ] [ n ]
|
|
|
are
|
/ar/
|
[ are ]
|
|
|
up
|
/u/ /p/
|
[ u ] [ p ]
|
|
|
had
|
/h/ /a/ /d/
|
[ h ] [ a ] [ d ]
|
|
|
my
|
/m/ /ie/ (as in ‘tie’)
|
[ m ] [ y ]
|
|
|
her
|
/h/ /er/
|
[ h ] [er ]
|
|
|
what
|
/w/ /o/ /t/
|
[ wh ] [ a ] [ t ]
|
|
|
there
|
/th/ (voiced) /air/
|
[ th ] [ ere ]
|
|
|
out
|
/ow/ /t/
|
[ ou ] [ t ]
|
|
|
this
|
/th/ (voiced) /i/ /s/
|
[ th ] [ i ] [ s ]
|
|
|
have
|
/h/ /a/ /v/
|
[ h ] [ a ] [ ve ]
|
|
|
went
|
/w/ /e/ /n/ /t/
|
[ w ] [ e ] [ n ] [ t ]
|
|
|
be
|
/b/ /ee/
|
[ b ] [ e ]
|
|
|
like
|
/l/ /ie/ (as in ‘tie’) /k/
|
[ l ] [ i-e ] [ k ]
|
Split spelling
|
|
some
|
/s/ /u/ /m/
|
[ s ] [ o ] [ me ]
|
|
|
so
|
/s/ /oe/ (as in ‘toe’)
|
[ s ] [ o ]
|
|
|
not
|
/n /o/ /t/
|
[ n ] [ o ] [ t ]
|
|
|
then
|
/th/ (voiced) /e/ /n/
|
[ th ] [ e ] [ n ]
|
|
|
were
|
/w/ /er/
|
[ w ] [ ere ]
|
|
|
go
|
/g /oe/ (as in ‘toe’)
|
[ g ] [ o ]
|
|
|
little
|
/l/ /i/ | /t/ /l/
|
[ l ] [ i ] | [ tt ] [le ]
|
|
|
as
|
/a/ /z/
|
[ a ] [ s ]
|
|
|
no
|
/n/ /oe/ (as in ‘toe’)
|
[ n ] [ o ]
|
|
|
mum
|
/m/ /u/ /m/
|
[ m ] [ u ] [ m ]
|
|
|
one
|
/w/ /o/ /n/
|
[ o ] [ ne ]
|
|
|
them
|
/th/ (voiced) /e/ /m/
|
[ th ] [ e ] [ m ]
|
|
|
do
|
/d/ /oo/
|
[ d ] [ o ]
|
|
|
me
|
/m/ /e/
|
[ m ] [ e ]
|
|
|
down
|
/d/ /ow/ /n/
|
[ d ] [ ow ] [ n ]
|
|
|
dad
|
/d/ /a/ /d/
|
[ d ] [ a ] [ d ]
|
|
|
big
|
/b/ /i/ /g/
|
[ b ] [ i ] [ g ]
|
|
|
when
|
/w/ /e/ /n/
|
[ wh ] [ e ] [ n ]
|
|
|
It’s
|
/i/ /t/’ /s/
|
[ i ] [ t ]’ [ s ]
|
Should be taught as a contraction of ‘it is’.
|
|
see
|
/s/ /ee/
|
[ s ] [ ee ]
|
|
|
looked
|
/l/ /oo/ /k/ /t/
|
[ l ] [ oo] [ k ] [ ed ]
|
The [ oo ] can be pronounced as the /oo/ as in ‘could’ or as /oo/ in ‘moon’.
|
|
don’t
|
/d/ /oe/ (as in ‘toe’) /n/’ /t/
|
[ d ] [ o ] [ n ]’[ t ]
|
|
|
come
|
/k/ /u/ /m/
|
[ c ] [ o ] [ me ]
|
|
|
will
|
/w/ /i/ /l/
|
[ w ] [ i ] [ ll ]
|
|
|
into
|
/i/ /n/ | /t/ /oo/
|
[ i ] [ n ] | [ t ] [ o ]
|
|
|
back
|
/b/ /a/ /k/
|
[ b ] [ a ] [ ck ]
|
|
|
from
|
/f/ /r/ /o/ /m/
|
[ f ] [ r ] [ o ] [ m ]
|
|
|
children
|
/ch/ /i/ /l/ | /d/ /r/ /schwa/ or /e/ /n/
|
[ ch ] [ i ] [ l ] | [ d ] [ r ] [ e ] [ n ]
|
|
|
him
|
/h/ /i/ /m/
|
[ h ] [ i ] [ m ]
|
|
|
Mr (mister)
|
/m/ /i/ /s/ | /t/ /schwa/
|
[ m ] [ i ] [ s ] | [ t ] [ er ]
|
|
|
get
|
/g/ /e/ /t/
|
[ g ] [ e ] [ t ]
|
|
|
just
|
/j/ /u/ /s/ /t/
|
[ j ] [ u ] [ s ] [ t ]
|
|
|
now
|
/n/ /ow/
|
[ n ] [ ow ]
|
|
|
came
|
/k/ /ae/ /me/
|
[ c ] [ a-e ] [ m ]
|
Split spelling. /ae/ is the sound you hear in ‘rain’, ‘say’ and ‘made’.
|
|
oh
|
/oe/ (as in ‘toe’)
|
[ wh ] [ a ] [ t ]
|
|
|
about
|
/schwa/ | /b/ /ow/ /t/
|
[ a ] | [ b ] [ ou ] [ t ]
|
|
|
got
|
/g/ /o/ /t/
|
[ g ] [ o ] [ t ]
|
|
|
their
|
/th/ (voiced) /air/
|
[ th ] [ eir ]
|
|
|
people
|
/p/ /ee/ | /p/ /l/
|
[ p ] [ eo ] [ p ] [ le ]
|
|
|
your
|
/y/ /or/
|
[ y ] [ or ]
|
|
|
put
|
/p/ /u/ /t/
|
[ p ] [ u ] [ t ]
|
Depending on accent, the [ u ] can be pronounced as the
/ ʊ / as in ‘could’ or as /u/ in ‘but’
|
|
could
|
/c/ /u/ /d/
|
[ k ] [ oul ] [ d]
|
The [ oul ] is pronounced as the
/ ʊ / as in ‘bush’
|
|
house
|
/h/ /ow/ /s/
|
[ h ] [ ou ] [ se ]
|
|
|
old
|
/oe/ /l/ /d/
|
[ o ] [ l ] [ d ]
|
əʊ
|
|
too
|
/t/ /oo/
|
[ t ] [ oo ]
|
|
|
by
|
/b/ /ie/ (as in ‘tie’)
|
[ b ] [ y ]
|
|
|
day
|
/d/ /ae/
|
[ d ] [ ay ]
|
/ae/ is the sound you hear in ‘rain’, ‘say’ and ‘made’.
|
|
made
|
/m/ /ae/ /d/
|
[ m ] [ a-e ] [ d ]
|
Split spelling. /ae/ is the sound you hear in ‘rain’, ‘say’ and ‘bake’.
|
|
time
|
/t/ /ie/ (as in ‘tie’) /m/
|
[ t ] [ i-e ] [ m ]
|
Split spelling
|
|
I’m
|
/ie/ (as in ‘tie’) /m/
|
[ I ]’ [ m ]
|
Should be taught as a contraction of ‘I am’.
|
|
if
|
/i/ /f/
|
[ i ] [ f ]
|
|
|
help
|
/h/ /e/ /l/ /p/
|
[ h ] [ e ] [ l ] [ p ]
|
|
|
Mrs
|
/m/ /i/ | /s/ /schwa/ /z/
|
[ m ] [ i ] [ ss ] [ u ]
[ s ] or [ m ] [ i ] [ss ]
[ i ] [ s ]
|
The schwa sounds something like an /i/ or an /uh/, depending on accent.
|
|
called
|
/k/ /or/ /l/ /d/
|
[ c ] [ a ] [ ll ] [ ed ]
|
|
|
here
|
/h/ /eer/ or /h/ /ee/ |/schwa/
|
[ h ] [ere ] or [ h ] [ e ] | [ re ]
|
The way we say this word very much depends on accent.
|
|
off
|
/o/ /f/
|
[ o ] [ ff ]
|
|
|
asked
|
/ar/ /s/ k/ /t/ or /a/ /s/ /k/ /t/
|
[ a ] [ s ] [ k ] [ ed ]
|
|
|
saw
|
/s/ /or/
|
[ s ] [ aw ]
|
|
|
make
|
/m/ /ae/ /k/
|
[ m [ a-e ] [ k ]
|
Split spelling. /ae/ is the sound you hear in ‘rain’, ‘say’ and ‘made’.
|
|
an
|
/a/ /n/
|
[ a ] [n ]
|
*sounds are indicated in forward slashes; spellings are indicated by [ ] brackets. Polysyllabic words are split with a |.
As I’ve made clear before, out of this list of a hundred words, thirty-two are very straightforward to teach. These are:
2 and VCC 6 inVC 10 it VC 14 on VC
18 at VC 20 but CVC 21 that CVC 22 with CVC
25 can CVC 27 up VC 28 had CVC 34 this CVC
36 went CVCC 41 notCVC 42 then CVC 48 mumCVC
50 them CVC 54 dadCVC 55 big CVC 56 whenCVC
57 it’s VCC 64 will CVC 66 back CVC 67 from CCVC
69 him CVC 71 getCVC 72 just CVCC 77 gotCVC
91 if VC 92 help CVCC 96 off VC 100 an VC.
All the rest should be sorted according to sound and taught as spelling alternatives of those sounds. For example, the words ‘they’, ‘day’, ‘made’ and ‘make’ can be taught as spelling alternatives of the sound /ae/: [ ey ], [ ay ], or [ a-e ].
Why does this make sense? Because all children absorb the sounds of their own language naturally and teaching children anything they learn naturally, i.e. without having to be taught it, is a waste of time – theirs and the teacher’s. What children do need teaching is the writing script because no infant illiterate learns how the sounds of the language relate to the ways in which those sounds are spelled.
The only really difficult word to teach in this list is the word ‘one’, where, in modern pronunciation, it sounds like /w/ /o/ /n/. This word was once said as ‘ane’ and, while the way we say it has changed, the spelling remains similar. How should you teach it? It’s probably a good idea to teach it as a word pupils need to remember, because teaching the spelling [ o ] as two sounds /w/ and /o/ is probably more complicated, although children certainly don’t seem to have a problem recognising that the spelling [ x ] represent the sounds /k/ and /s/. Furthermore,
Of course, it goes without saying that no high quality phonics programme will have the slightest difficulty in teaching any of the above words – or any words for that matter!