Fry First 100 Sight Words
This page lists Fry's first 100 sight words in frequency order, from the, of and and to made, may and part. Your child can practice them with flash cards, find the word, build the word and memory match, 25 words at a time. You can also print cards and worksheets as a PDF.
Fry's first 100 words
Fry's first 100 instant words, in frequency order
Fry words 1–25(25 words)
- the
- of
- and
- a
- to
- in
- is
- you
- that
- it
- he
- was
- for
- on
- are
- as
- with
- his
- they
- I
- at
- be
- this
- have
- from
Fry words 26–50(25 words)
- or
- one
- had
- by
- words
- but
- not
- what
- all
- were
- we
- when
- your
- can
- said
- there
- use
- an
- each
- which
- she
- do
- how
- their
- if
Fry words 51–75(25 words)
- will
- up
- other
- about
- out
- many
- then
- them
- these
- so
- some
- her
- would
- make
- like
- him
- into
- time
- has
- look
- two
- more
- write
- go
- see
Fry words 76–100(25 words)
- number
- no
- way
- could
- people
- my
- than
- first
- water
- been
- called
- who
- oil
- sit
- now
- find
- long
- down
- day
- did
- get
- come
- made
- may
- part
Print Fry's first 100 as cards or worksheets (PDF)
What the Fry first 100 are
Edward Fry published his "instant words" in 1980: 1,000 words ordered by how often they appear in reading. The first 100 are the most frequent of all. These words show up constantly in children's books, so knowing them on sight frees a young reader to think about the story.
The rest of the list continues in hundreds. See all ten on the Fry sight words page.
Four sets of 25 in the first 100
The deck picker splits the first 100 into four sets:
- 1-25: the, of, and, a, to through from
- 26-50: or, one, had through if
- 51-75: will, up, other through see
- 76-100: number, no, way through part
Work on one set at a time. Within a set, add about five new words a week and keep the slow ones in the mix.
A plan for the first 100, 25 words at a time
- Start with set 1-25. These are the words your child will meet most.
- Play flash cards daily for a few minutes. Not-yet cards come back later in the session.
- Once a week, play find the word to check for guessing.
- When nearly all 25 are instant on different days, open the next set and review the old one weekly.
For older children, the 2nd grade sight words page continues with Fry's second hundred.
Fry first 100 and the Dolch words
Many of these words are also on the Dolch lists, so if your child already knows the early Dolch levels, much of set 1-25 will feel familiar. Fry also brings in words Dolch's service words leave out, like words, number, people, called and each.
If your school uses Dolch, the Dolch list by level is a better fit. If it uses Fry, or sends nothing home, these 100 are a solid start.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a Fry first 100 PDF?
Yes. Flash cards and worksheets are made as a PDF right in your browser, on US Letter paper, and nothing is uploaded. The numbered list on this page prints with your browser.
What age is the Fry first 100 list for?
It is often used in kindergarten and first grade. Start when your child knows most letter sounds and enjoys reading short books together.
Why is the first 100 list in that order?
Fry ordered words by how often they appear in reading, not by difficulty. That is why of and was come early, even though they are tricky to sound out.
Are the Fry 100 words read aloud?
Words are read aloud by your device's built-in voice, when it has one; otherwise the word is shown and a grown-up can read it.
Can we play the first 100 words as games?
Yes. All four games work with these sets, and there are more ideas on the sight word games page.