Dolch Pre-Primer Words

The first 40 Dolch sight words — the ones a five- or six-year-old is expected to read on sight before decoding. Short, high-frequency, and perfect for a 12 × 12 grid.

  • 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
Make a word search with these words
Printable packs

The generator opens with up to 16 words filled in — add or remove any you like before printing. One-letter words (A, I) are left out: a single letter cannot be hidden in a grid.

How to use this list

These words carry almost no picture support: they are function words like the, and, where. Copy them onto a card ring, then let the puzzle do the repetition.

Pair it with a 12 × 12 grid for a five-minute filler, or a 20 × 20 for a full lesson starter. Every puzzle prints on one A4 or Letter sheet, with the answer key on the page behind it.

Questions

How many words are on this list?

40 words. They are listed in the order the source list uses, not alphabetically, so you can work through them a level at a time.

Can I print this list as it is?

Yes — select the text, or use your browser’s print command. If you want the words in a puzzle instead, the button above loads the first 16 of them into the generator, where you can paste the rest.

What grid size fits these words?

A 12 × 12 grid takes the whole list comfortably; the longest word here is LITTLE (6 letters). Bigger grids (20 × 20) suit fast finishers.

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