Dolch sight words

The whole Dolch list on one page. The game above mixes words from all five levels: twelve words a lap.

The Dolch list by level

All 220 service words in ABC order

a about after again all always am an and any are around as ask at ate away be because been before best better big black blue both bring brown but buy by call came can carry clean cold come could cut did do does don't done down draw drink eat eight every fall far fast find first five fly for found four from full funny gave get give go goes going good got green grow had has have he help her here him his hold hot how I if in into is it its jump just keep kind know laugh left let light like little live long look made make many may me much must my myself never new no not now of off old on once one only open or our out over own pick play please pretty pull put ran read red ride right round run said saw say see seven shall she show sing sit six sleep small so some soon start stop take tell ten thank that the their them then there these they think this those three to today together too try two under up upon us use very walk want warm was wash we well went were what when where which white who why will wish with work would write yellow yes you your

22 start with T, 22 start with W and 18 start with S. None starts with Q, X and Z. The longest word has 8 letters: "together".

The 96 Dolch nouns

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 goat grass ground hand head hill home horse house kitty leg letter man men milk 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 woman women wood

How many Dolch words are there?

Edward William Dolch published his list in 1936, in an article called "A Basic Sight Vocabulary" in The Elementary School Journal, and again in 1948 in his book Problems in Reading. He described 220 service words and a separate list of nouns. The service words are usually given in five levels. The Wikipedia article Dolch word list, which we read on 3 October 2026, lists 221 words across the five levels and 97 nouns. This page shows 220 and 96: 1 service word and 1 noun are left out because our vocabulary rules for children do not allow them.

The game above types 216 of the service words. It leaves out "a" and "I", which are single letters, "don't", and "buy", as the sight word lessons in Bumpy Keys do.

Print the Dolch list

Sight word flash cards · Sight word bingo · Sight word worksheets · Sight word checklist. Each one prints any level, or your own words.

More sight word pages

All sight word lists · Sight word games · Sight word phrases · Sight words typing practice

Questions

How many Dolch sight words are there?

Dolch described 220 service words and a separate list of nouns. The article we read lists 221 words across the five levels and 97 nouns.

What are the five Dolch levels?

Pre-primer, primer, first grade, second grade and third grade. The nouns are a separate list.

Is there a fourth grade Dolch list?

No. The five levels end at third grade.

Can I print the Dolch list?

Yes. The flash cards, bingo cards, worksheets and checklist pages each print any level.