High frequency words are the words students meet most often in text and need to read by sight (or in a flash). Common examples include the, said, was and you. Students learn them by connecting each sound to its spelling, then learning only the tricky part by heart, rather than memorising whole words as shapes.
You've probably got a list like this already. But here's the thing I've learnt over the years: a list on its own doesn't teach anyone to read.
So yes, this post gives you high frequency words by grade level, built on my own free lists. It also shows you exactly how to teach each set, because a list is only useful when you know what to do with it. Bookmark it, print the lists and come back whenever you need a quick refresh.
Why high frequency words matter in early reading
These words turn up in almost every sentence your students read. If kids stop to puzzle over 'said' or 'was' every time, they lose the meaning of the sentence before they reach the full stop.
That's why curriculum documents name them in the early years. In the US Common Core, Kindergarten students should "read common high-frequency words by sight", and first and second graders should "recognise and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelt words" (Grade 1, Grade 2). In Australia, Foundation students learn to "read and write some high-frequency words and other familiar words"
"Read on sight" doesn't mean "memorise the shape". Reading researcher Linnea Ehri describes how readers store words in memory through orthographic mapping: connecting the letters in a word to the sounds in it. Her review explains that this mapping relies on phonemic awareness and letter-sound knowledge, and that any word a child practises this way can become a word they read instantly.
In other words, high frequency words are taught WITH phonics, not instead of it. That's the thinking behind every list below.
How my high frequency word lists are organised
My free high frequency heart word lists come as eight sets (Lists 1 to 8 in the freebie), sorted by complexity rather than by grade. Sets 1 to 4 cover the top 100 high frequency words, plus words with similar spelling patterns. Sets 5 to 8 move into the top 200 and 300 words, plus words with highly irregular or rare spellings.
Words with similar spellings are grouped together wherever possible, so you can teach a spelling pattern once and apply it to several words. Easily decodable words like 'can' and 'am' are left out, because students can already sound those out.
The grade sections below are a suggested starting point, with a sample of words from the sets that suit each grade. Adjust them to your students, and find the complete lists in the freebie.
High frequency words for Kindergarten (Foundation or Prep)
Start with Sets 1 and 2 of the free lists. Set 1 holds the words students meet in almost every early text, like the, a, I, to and was. Begin with 10 to 15 words and introduce them one at a time, keeping easily confused words apart, like to and of.
Sample words for Kindergarten
Heart words (learn the tricky part)
Flash words (decodable)
Grab the complete set in the free high frequency heart word lists. For more on where to start and what to teach first, read my post on teaching high frequency words in Kindergarten.
One way to use it: teach one heart word a day. Say it, tap the sounds, map each sound to its letters, then draw a little heart over the tricky part. Finish by reading the word in a short sentence together.
High frequency words for Grade 1 (Year 1)
Sets 3 and 4 group words by spelling pattern, so you can teach related words together. now, how and down all spell the /ow/ sound with ow, while out, round and about spell it with ou.
Sample words for Grade 1
Heart words (learn the tricky part)
Flash words (decodable)
The complete set is in the free high frequency heart word lists.
One way to use it: teach words that share a tricky spelling as a family. Once students have mapped one word in the group, ask them to find the same tricky part in the others. Kids love spotting the pattern, and you've taught several words for the price of one.
High frequency words for Grade 2 (Year 2)
Sets 5 and 6 are where the spellings get trickier. Words like does and goes have irregular spellings, and cough, rough and tough share a tricky ough ending, so grouping them helps.
Sample words for Grade 2
Heart words (learn the tricky part)
Flash words (decodable)
The complete set is in the free high frequency heart word lists.
One way to use it: run a quick spelling check-in. Say each word, have students write it, then check together. When a word is spelt wrong, look at which part went wrong. If it's the tricky part, remap the word. If it's a decodable part, that's a phonics gap to reteach.
Heart words: learning only the tricky part by heart
I've thrown out my sight word flash cards (yes, ALL of them). Here's why.
Many high frequency words are mostly decodable. Only one or two letters break the rules. So instead of asking kids to memorise the whole word, we decode everything we can and learn just the tricky part "by heart".
Take 'said'. Students hear three sounds: /s/ /e/ /d/. The /s/ and /d/ are spelt exactly as expected. The /e/ sound is spelt 'ai', which is the tricky part, so that's where the heart goes.
My lists sort words two ways:
- Heart words have a tricky part students need to learn by heart.
- Flash words are high frequency words with regular spellings. Students can decode them, but we want them read quickly.
Some words move from heart to flash once students learn the spelling pattern. For the full story (and why flash cards didn't cut it), read why I've thrown out my sight word flash cards. For a step-by-step example, see how to orthographically map a tricky word.
How to teach a high frequency word list in short daily bursts
You don't need a long lesson. The key is doing it EVERY day.
Here's a simple routine:
- Say it. Say the word and use it in a sentence.
- Tap it. Students tap or push a counter for each sound.
- Map it. Write the letters for each sound in sound boxes.
- Heart it. Find the tricky part and mark it with a heart.
- Write it. Students write the word, saying the sounds as they go.
- Read it. Read the word in a sentence or short decodable text.
Then spend a minute reviewing words from earlier in the week. For more ways to practise, my post on tricky words and 8 fun games to teach them has plenty of ideas.
Build word lists in Wordabase and track progress in The Hive
Keeping track of who knows which words can feel like a second job. Teachers are time-poor!
Start with Wordabase, our free phonics tool. Find the words you want - according to the sounds that you've taught - add them to your Word Bank, then turn them into flash cards, bingo boards and word mapping printables in a couple of clicks. It's free, with no login needed.
Once you're in The Hive, student trackers let you build customisable tables inside each class. Set one up with the words you're teaching and record who knows them. A Hive membership also lets you save and customise unlimited Word Banks, so you can keep a list for each group.
Inside The Hive you'll also find digital tools like Elkonin Boxes and Word Builder for mapping words on the board, plus planning and classroom tools in one place.
Cancel anytime before day 14 and you won't be charged.
High frequency words by grade level: your questions answered
What are the first high frequency words to teach?
Start with the words students will meet in almost every early text, like the, a, I, to, and, was, you, is, of and said. Teach them a few at a time alongside your phonics program, mapping each sound to its spelling and learning only the tricky part by heart. Introduce new words as students need them for reading and writing.
Are high frequency words the same as sight words?
Not quite. High frequency words are the words that appear most often in text, and they used to be called "sight words". In reading research, a sight word is any word a reader recognises instantly from memory. With practice, any word can become a sight word, including decodable ones. High frequency words are simply the ones we want students to reach that point with first.
What's the difference between sight words and heart words?
Sight words is the older label for high frequency words, often taught by memorising whole words from flash cards. Heart words are high frequency words with a tricky part. Students decode the regular parts using their phonics knowledge and learn only the irregular part "by heart". This way, every word builds on phonics rather than skipping it.
