Dolch Sight Words: All 315 Words by Level
The Dolch list is the classic set of sight words used in many US classrooms. Edward W. Dolch published it in a 1936 article and in his 1948 book, and it is now in the public domain. It has 220 "service words" in five levels plus 95 common nouns, 315 words in all. Every level is below, each with flash cards, a find-the-word game and printable cards.
Practice a Dolch level
All 315 Dolch words by level
| Level | Words | Often taught in | Flash cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dolch Pre-Primer | 40 | Pre-K | Open |
| Dolch Primer | 52 | Kindergarten | Open |
| Dolch First Grade | 41 | 1st grade | Open |
| Dolch Second Grade | 46 | 2nd grade | Open |
| Dolch Third Grade | 41 | 3rd grade | Open |
| Dolch Nouns | 95 | K-2 | Open |
Dolch Pre-Primer (Pre-K)(40 words)
- 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 Primer (Kindergarten)(52 words)
- 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 First Grade (1st grade)(41 words)
- 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 Second Grade (2nd grade)(46 words)
- 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 Third Grade (3rd grade)(41 words)
- 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 Nouns (K-2)(95 words)
- 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
Print Dolch cards by level
The six parts of the list
- Pre-primer: 40 words
- Primer: 52 words
- First grade: 41 words
- Second grade: 46 words
- Third grade: 41 words
- Nouns: 95 words
The grade names are Dolch's own labels. Follow your child's pace rather than the grade on the label.
What service words are
Dolch chose words that appear again and again in children's books: pronouns, prepositions and helping verbs like in, of, to, was and could. These words carry little meaning on their own, but you cannot read a sentence without them.
Most of them cannot be pictured, and many do not sound out neatly. That is why they are practiced by sight, alongside phonics.
Working through the levels
Go level by level, and inside a level work in groups of about five words. Before moving on, your child should read nearly every word in the level quickly. Keep a small review pile from earlier levels so old words stay fresh.
For a ready-made starting set, kindergarten sight words combines pre-primer and primer. Older children can use 2nd grade sight words, which pairs the second grade level with Fry 101 to 200.
Making the most of the nouns
The 95 nouns, words like apple, bird and tree, are easy to picture and fun for younger children. They work well in a sentence game: mix noun cards with service word cards and build "the bird can see a tree".
They also make a good reward deck at the end of a session on harder service words.
Frequently asked questions
Why do some Dolch lists have 220 words and others 315?
The 220 service words are the core list. The 95 nouns were a separate list, so some sources leave them out. This page shows both.
Is the Dolch list out of date?
A few words feel old-fashioned, but most are still everyday words, which is why many schools still use it. The Fry list is a newer and longer option.
What is the difference between Dolch and Fry?
Dolch is shorter and split by level. Fry has 1,000 words in frequency order and includes nouns and longer words. They overlap a lot. See Fry sight words.
Can I print a single level?
Yes. Each level has its own print button for flash cards, 8 to a page, and a trace-and-write worksheet.
Are the words read aloud?
Yes, by your device's built-in voice, when it has one. If it does not, the word is shown and you can read it to your child.