Dolch 1st Grade Sight Words
- 1st grade
- 41 words
- Common Core RF.1.3g
The Dolch 1st grade list has 41 words that 1st graders read all the time, like of, could, were, when, know and them. It includes some of the trickiest words in English, so it's worth spending time on the heart words.
The 41 Dolch 1st Grade words
In alphabetical order. Teachers often present these words in lowercase, the way they appear in books.
- 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
About the Dolch 1st Grade list
By 1st grade, children know their short vowels and are learning blends, digraphs and silent e. That makes most of this list easy to sound out: an, as, ask, had, has, him, his, just, let, stop, them, then, think, when. With silent e, take and live follow too.
The rest are some of the oddest spellings kids will meet. Of sounds like "uv." Once sounds like "wunce." Could has a silent l. These are worth learning carefully, because they appear on nearly every page of a chapter book.
Most 1st grade classrooms work through this list over the year, often alongside phonics lessons on the same patterns. Kids who still need the primer words can work on both lists at once.
Heart words in this list
These words have a part that doesn't follow the sounds your child knows yet. Sound out the rest, then draw a heart over the tricky part and learn it by heart. See what are sight words? for the 5-step method.
| Word | The tricky part |
|---|---|
| of | o says short u; f says v |
| could | oul says the oo in book; l is silent |
| once | sounds like wuns |
| any | a says short e |
| every | first e says short e; y says long e |
| give | i is short even with the e |
| live | i is short (as in live in a house) |
| put | u says the oo in book |
| some | o says short u; e is silent |
| were | ere says er |
| walk | al says aw; l is silent |
| know | k is silent; ow says long o |
| from | o says short u |
Words to sound out instead of memorizing: an, as, ask, had, has, him, his, just, let, stop, them, then, think, thank, when, and with patterns from 1st grade, fly, by, old, take, going, open, round. If your child knows the phonics pattern, teach these with phonics. It's faster, and the same skill works on thousands of other words.
Sentences to read
Every sentence below uses words from this list or earlier lists. Read them together, or let your child read them on their own once the words are familiar.
- Once upon a time, there was an old king.
- Can I have a cup of milk?
- I could not open the box.
- Give him the ball.
- When will you walk home?
- We had fun after school.
- Thank them for the gift.
- Every bird can fly over the tree.
- Do you know her name?
- Stop and think, then take a turn.
How to practice the 1st Grade list
- Pick five words a week. At five a week, the whole list takes about 9 weeks. Mix one or two heart words with easier ones.
- Sound out first. For regular words, have your child blend the sounds. For heart words, sound out the regular parts and point to the tricky part.
- Flash daily. Use the flashcards from the PDF for one minute a day. A word counts as known when your child reads it in under three seconds, three days in a row.
- Find them in books. Before reading a book together, ask your child to spot this week's words on a page.
- Write them. Spelling a word out loud while writing it makes it stick much faster than reading alone.
Keep a "know it" pile and a "still learning" pile. Kids love watching the "know it" pile grow, and it shows you exactly which words need more practice.
Quiz: Dolch 1st Grade words
Read each sentence and tap the word that fits. The speaker button reads the sentence aloud, without giving away the answer.
-
1.Can I have a cup _____ milk?
Show answer
of: Can I have a cup of milk?
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2._____ upon a time, there was a king.
Show answer
Once: Once upon a time, there was a king.
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3.I _____ swim when I was five.
Show answer
could: I could swim when I was five.
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4.Please _____ the door.
Show answer
open: Please open the door.
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5._____ are you?
Show answer
How: How are you?
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6.I will _____ you a hug.
Show answer
give: I will give you a hug.
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7.She is _____ to the park.
Show answer
going: She is going to the park.
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8.This is _____ book.
Show answer
his: This is his book.
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9.We _____ home after school.
Show answer
walk: We walk home after school.
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10.I _____ the answer.
Show answer
know: I know the answer.
Printable list and flashcards
The free PDF has 5 US Letter pages: a checklist of all 41 words with a box to tick for each word your child knows, and 4 pages of large flashcards to cut out, 12 to a page. Print on card stock if you can.
More sight word lists
See every list, the 1,000 most common words and how sight words fit with phonics on the sight words page. For picture words to practice alongside this list, try the Dolch nouns. For the skills around this list, see the 1st grade page.
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026
Questions parents ask
How many Dolch 1st grade words are there?
41 words, from after, again and an to walk, were and when.
What are the hardest 1st grade sight words?
of, once, could, were, walk and know. Each has a part that doesn't sound the usual way.
Should 1st graders still practice pre-primer and primer words?
Yes, if they don't read them instantly yet. Those words appear even more often than the 1st grade list.
What comes after the 1st grade list?
The Dolch 2nd grade list, 46 words like because, would, their and which.
Are the Dolch words still used?
Yes. Many US schools still use the Dolch lists, often alongside the Fry lists, to choose which common words to practice first.