Fry Sight Words List

All 1,000 Fry sight words, free to read here and free to print. Ordered by how often they appear in written English and split into ten sets of 100, running from kindergarten through sixth grade.

About the Fry sight word list

Who compiled it, and why

Edward Fry published his list in 1957 and updated it in 1980, working from a larger and more modern sample of text than Dolch drew on. He ranked all 1,000 words by frequency rather than by grade, so the order tells you how much each one is worth learning. The first 100 alone cover about half of everything written in English; the full 1,000 cover roughly 90%.

The ten sets and the grades

Each set is exactly 100 words in rank order, usually spread across kindergarten to sixth grade — the first 100 in grades K–1, then roughly a set a year after that. Because the sets are ordered by frequency and not difficulty, those bands are a guide: the right set is simply the first one a child cannot already read at a glance.

Fry or Dolch?

The lists overlap heavily — nearly every Dolch word appears in the first 500 Fry words — so working through both is mostly duplicated effort. Dolch suits pre-K through third grade, where its grade groupings match how reading is taught. Fry suits programs that want one sequence running all the way to sixth grade. Pick one and finish it.

The complete Fry word list

All 1,000 words, set by set and in frequency order.

Fry First 100 sight words

Grades K–1 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • 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
  • or
  • one
  • had
  • by
  • word
  • but
  • not
  • what
  • all
  • were
  • we
  • when
  • your
  • can
  • said
  • there
  • use
  • an
  • each
  • which
  • she
  • do
  • how
  • their
  • if
  • 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
  • number
  • no
  • way
  • could
  • people
  • my
  • than
  • first
  • water
  • been
  • call
  • who
  • oil
  • its
  • now
  • find
  • long
  • down
  • day
  • did
  • get
  • come
  • made
  • may
  • part
Download the First 100 worksheets

Fry Second 100 sight words

Grades 1–2 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • over
  • new
  • sound
  • take
  • only
  • little
  • work
  • know
  • place
  • year
  • live
  • me
  • back
  • give
  • most
  • very
  • after
  • thing
  • our
  • just
  • name
  • good
  • sentence
  • man
  • think
  • say
  • great
  • where
  • help
  • through
  • much
  • before
  • line
  • right
  • too
  • mean
  • old
  • any
  • same
  • tell
  • boy
  • follow
  • came
  • want
  • show
  • also
  • around
  • form
  • three
  • small
  • set
  • put
  • end
  • does
  • another
  • well
  • large
  • must
  • big
  • even
  • such
  • because
  • turn
  • here
  • why
  • ask
  • went
  • men
  • read
  • need
  • land
  • different
  • home
  • us
  • move
  • try
  • kind
  • hand
  • picture
  • again
  • change
  • off
  • play
  • spell
  • air
  • away
  • animal
  • house
  • point
  • page
  • letter
  • mother
  • answer
  • found
  • study
  • still
  • learn
  • should
  • America
  • world
Download the Second 100 worksheets

Fry Third 100 sight words

Grade 2 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • high
  • every
  • near
  • add
  • food
  • between
  • own
  • below
  • country
  • plant
  • last
  • school
  • father
  • keep
  • tree
  • never
  • start
  • city
  • earth
  • eye
  • light
  • thought
  • head
  • under
  • story
  • saw
  • left
  • don't
  • few
  • while
  • along
  • might
  • close
  • something
  • seem
  • next
  • hard
  • open
  • example
  • begin
  • life
  • always
  • those
  • both
  • paper
  • together
  • got
  • group
  • often
  • run
  • important
  • until
  • children
  • side
  • feet
  • car
  • mile
  • night
  • walk
  • white
  • sea
  • began
  • grow
  • took
  • river
  • four
  • carry
  • state
  • once
  • book
  • hear
  • stop
  • without
  • second
  • later
  • miss
  • idea
  • enough
  • eat
  • face
  • watch
  • far
  • Indian
  • really
  • almost
  • let
  • above
  • girl
  • sometimes
  • mountain
  • cut
  • young
  • talk
  • soon
  • list
  • song
  • being
  • leave
  • family
  • it's
Download the Third 100 worksheets

Fry Fourth 100 sight words

Grade 3 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • body
  • music
  • color
  • stand
  • sun
  • questions
  • fish
  • area
  • mark
  • dog
  • horse
  • birds
  • problem
  • complete
  • room
  • knew
  • since
  • ever
  • piece
  • told
  • usually
  • didn't
  • friends
  • easy
  • heard
  • order
  • red
  • door
  • sure
  • become
  • top
  • ship
  • across
  • today
  • during
  • short
  • better
  • best
  • however
  • low
  • hours
  • black
  • products
  • happened
  • whole
  • measure
  • remember
  • early
  • waves
  • reached
  • listen
  • wind
  • rock
  • space
  • covered
  • fast
  • several
  • hold
  • himself
  • toward
  • five
  • step
  • morning
  • passed
  • vowel
  • true
  • hundred
  • against
  • pattern
  • numeral
  • table
  • north
  • slowly
  • money
  • map
  • farm
  • pulled
  • draw
  • voice
  • seen
  • cold
  • cried
  • plan
  • notice
  • south
  • sing
  • war
  • ground
  • fall
  • king
  • town
  • I'll
  • unit
  • figure
  • certain
  • field
  • travel
  • wood
  • fire
  • upon
Download the Fourth 100 worksheets

Fry Fifth 100 sight words

Grade 3 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • done
  • English
  • road
  • half
  • ten
  • fly
  • gave
  • box
  • finally
  • wait
  • correct
  • oh
  • quickly
  • person
  • became
  • shown
  • minutes
  • strong
  • verb
  • stars
  • front
  • feel
  • fact
  • inches
  • street
  • decided
  • contain
  • course
  • surface
  • produce
  • building
  • ocean
  • class
  • note
  • nothing
  • rest
  • carefully
  • scientists
  • inside
  • wheels
  • stay
  • green
  • known
  • island
  • week
  • less
  • machine
  • base
  • ago
  • stood
  • plane
  • system
  • behind
  • ran
  • round
  • boat
  • game
  • force
  • brought
  • understand
  • warm
  • common
  • bring
  • explain
  • dry
  • though
  • language
  • shape
  • deep
  • thousands
  • yes
  • clear
  • equation
  • yet
  • government
  • filled
  • heat
  • full
  • hot
  • check
  • object
  • am
  • rule
  • among
  • noun
  • power
  • cannot
  • able
  • six
  • size
  • dark
  • ball
  • material
  • special
  • heavy
  • fine
  • pair
  • circle
  • include
  • built
Download the Fifth 100 worksheets

Fry Sixth 100 sight words

Grades 3–4 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • can't
  • matter
  • square
  • syllables
  • perhaps
  • bill
  • felt
  • suddenly
  • test
  • direction
  • center
  • farmers
  • ready
  • anything
  • divided
  • general
  • energy
  • subject
  • Europe
  • moon
  • region
  • return
  • believe
  • dance
  • members
  • picked
  • simple
  • cells
  • paint
  • mind
  • love
  • cause
  • rain
  • exercise
  • eggs
  • train
  • blue
  • wish
  • drop
  • developed
  • window
  • difference
  • distance
  • heart
  • sit
  • sum
  • summer
  • wall
  • forest
  • probably
  • legs
  • sat
  • main
  • winter
  • wide
  • written
  • length
  • reason
  • kept
  • interest
  • arms
  • brother
  • race
  • present
  • beautiful
  • store
  • job
  • edge
  • past
  • sign
  • record
  • finished
  • discovered
  • wild
  • happy
  • beside
  • gone
  • sky
  • glass
  • million
  • west
  • lay
  • weather
  • root
  • instruments
  • meet
  • third
  • months
  • paragraph
  • raised
  • represent
  • soft
  • whether
  • clothes
  • flowers
  • shall
  • teacher
  • held
  • describe
  • drive
Download the Sixth 100 worksheets

Fry Seventh 100 sight words

Grade 4 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • cross
  • speak
  • solve
  • appear
  • metal
  • son
  • either
  • ice
  • sleep
  • village
  • factors
  • result
  • jumped
  • snow
  • ride
  • care
  • floor
  • hill
  • pushed
  • baby
  • buy
  • century
  • outside
  • everything
  • tall
  • already
  • instead
  • phrase
  • soil
  • bed
  • copy
  • free
  • hope
  • spring
  • case
  • laughed
  • nation
  • quite
  • type
  • themselves
  • temperature
  • bright
  • lead
  • everyone
  • method
  • section
  • lake
  • consonant
  • within
  • dictionary
  • hair
  • age
  • amount
  • scale
  • pounds
  • although
  • per
  • broken
  • moment
  • tiny
  • possible
  • gold
  • milk
  • quiet
  • natural
  • lot
  • stone
  • act
  • build
  • middle
  • speed
  • count
  • cat
  • someone
  • sail
  • rolled
  • bear
  • wonder
  • smiled
  • angle
  • fraction
  • Africa
  • killed
  • melody
  • bottom
  • trip
  • hole
  • poor
  • let's
  • fight
  • surprise
  • French
  • died
  • beat
  • exactly
  • remain
  • dress
  • iron
  • couldn't
  • fingers
Download the Seventh 100 worksheets

Fry Eighth 100 sight words

Grades 4–5 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • row
  • least
  • catch
  • climbed
  • wrote
  • shouted
  • continued
  • itself
  • else
  • plains
  • gas
  • England
  • burning
  • design
  • joined
  • foot
  • law
  • ears
  • grass
  • you're
  • grew
  • skin
  • valley
  • cents
  • key
  • president
  • brown
  • trouble
  • cool
  • cloud
  • lost
  • sent
  • symbols
  • wear
  • bad
  • save
  • experiment
  • engine
  • alone
  • drawing
  • east
  • pay
  • single
  • touch
  • information
  • express
  • mouth
  • yard
  • equal
  • decimal
  • yourself
  • control
  • practice
  • report
  • straight
  • rise
  • statement
  • stick
  • party
  • seeds
  • suppose
  • woman
  • coast
  • bank
  • period
  • wire
  • choose
  • clean
  • visit
  • bit
  • whose
  • received
  • garden
  • please
  • strange
  • caught
  • fell
  • team
  • God
  • captain
  • direct
  • ring
  • serve
  • child
  • desert
  • increase
  • history
  • cost
  • maybe
  • business
  • separate
  • break
  • uncle
  • hunting
  • flow
  • lady
  • students
  • human
  • art
  • feeling
Download the Eighth 100 worksheets

Fry Ninth 100 sight words

Grade 5 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • supply
  • corner
  • electric
  • insects
  • crops
  • tone
  • hit
  • sand
  • doctor
  • provide
  • thus
  • won't
  • cook
  • bones
  • tail
  • board
  • modern
  • compound
  • mine
  • wasn't
  • fit
  • addition
  • belong
  • safe
  • soldiers
  • guess
  • silent
  • trade
  • rather
  • compare
  • crowd
  • poem
  • enjoy
  • elements
  • indicate
  • except
  • expect
  • flat
  • seven
  • interesting
  • sense
  • string
  • blow
  • famous
  • value
  • wings
  • movement
  • pole
  • exciting
  • branches
  • thick
  • blood
  • lie
  • spot
  • bell
  • fun
  • loud
  • consider
  • suggested
  • thin
  • position
  • entered
  • fruit
  • tied
  • rich
  • dollars
  • send
  • sight
  • chief
  • Japanese
  • stream
  • planets
  • rhythm
  • eight
  • science
  • major
  • observe
  • tube
  • necessary
  • weight
  • meat
  • lifted
  • process
  • army
  • hat
  • property
  • particular
  • swim
  • terms
  • current
  • park
  • sell
  • shoulder
  • industry
  • wash
  • block
  • spread
  • cattle
  • wife
  • sharp
Download the Ninth 100 worksheets

Fry Tenth 100 sight words

Grades 5–6 · 100 words · 100 pages

  • company
  • radio
  • we'll
  • action
  • capital
  • factories
  • settled
  • yellow
  • isn't
  • southern
  • truck
  • fair
  • printed
  • wouldn't
  • ahead
  • chance
  • born
  • level
  • triangle
  • molecules
  • France
  • repeated
  • column
  • western
  • church
  • sister
  • oxygen
  • plural
  • various
  • agreed
  • opposite
  • wrong
  • chart
  • prepared
  • pretty
  • solution
  • fresh
  • shop
  • suffix
  • especially
  • shoes
  • actually
  • nose
  • afraid
  • dead
  • sugar
  • adjective
  • fig
  • office
  • huge
  • gun
  • similar
  • death
  • score
  • forward
  • stretched
  • experience
  • rose
  • allow
  • fear
  • workers
  • Washington
  • Greek
  • women
  • bought
  • led
  • march
  • northern
  • create
  • British
  • difficult
  • match
  • win
  • doesn't
  • steel
  • total
  • deal
  • determine
  • evening
  • nor
  • rope
  • cotton
  • apple
  • details
  • entire
  • corn
  • substances
  • smell
  • tools
  • conditions
  • cows
  • track
  • arrived
  • located
  • sir
  • seat
  • division
  • effect
  • underline
  • view
Download the Tenth 100 worksheets

How to teach the Fry sight words

A set of 100 is too much at once. Short and daily beats long and weekly.

  1. 1

    Start with what they nearly know

    Read a level aloud together and mark the words that come out instantly. Teach the ones that need a pause, and leave the rest alone for now.

  2. 2

    Work in batches of five

    Five new words a week is enough for most children. Add the next five only once the first set is instant.

  3. 3

    Say it, color it, trace it

    Use the worksheet page for each new word. Saying it aloud before and after coloring links the shape on the page to the sound.

  4. 4

    Make the deck together

    Print the outline cards and let the child color and cut them out. A deck they made themselves gets picked up far more often.

  5. 5

    Play instead of drilling

    Once a batch is familiar, switch to bingo, roll & read, or memory match with the same words.

  6. 6

    Keep reviewing

    Shuffle old words into every session. Sight words fade quickly without use.

Fry sight words — frequently asked questions

The questions parents and teachers ask most.

Looking for the shorter list? The Dolch list covers 315 words grouped by grade, from Pre-Primer through Grade 3, plus the 95 Dolch nouns.

See the Dolch sight words list