One-Syllable Words: by Vowel Sound

Welcome to the OnTrack Reading One-Syllable Word Lists. On this page you'll find one-syllable word lists

organized around each of the nineteen vowel sounds found in English words. (If you like what you find, the

OnTrack Reading Comprehensive Word Lists book shown below assembles all of the word lists on these

three word list pages in one convenient publication.)

OnTrack Reading Comprehensive Word Lists Features over 100 word lists built from 7,000 words input from a children's dictionary. Lists are organized by

vowel and consonant sounds and cover most common spellings. Useful in the classroom for building curriculum

aids such as short stories that emphasize specific sounds and spellings. Multisyllable words are also included,

chunked according to the method taught in the OnTrack Reading Advanced Code Phonics Workbook.

$6.95 (PDF Download) $19.95 (Paperback) Order Now From Lulu.com

List 1: First Vowel Sounds Spelled in Basic Code Only A (cat) Sound Word List

E (red) Word List

I (hit) Word List

O (hot) Word List

U (cut) Word List

List 2: Second Vowel Sounds Organized by Spelling AE (Mae) Sound Word List

EE (see) Sound Word List

IE (tie) Sound Word List

OE (toe) Sound Word List

UE (cue) Sound Word List

List 3: Ar, Or, Er, and Err Sounds Organized by Spelling AR (car) Sound Word List

OR (for) Sound Word List

ER (her) Sound Word List

ERR (merry) Sound Word List

List 4: Remaining Vowel Sounds Organized by Spelling OW (cow) Sound Word List

OY (toy) Sound Word List

OO (zoo) Sound Word List

OUL (would) Sound Word List

AW (saw) Sound Word List

List 5: Basic Code Vowel Sounds Spelled Differently E (head, said) Sound Word List with “ea” and “ai” Spellings

I (gym) Sound Word List with the “y” Spelling

O (want) Sound Word List with the “a” Spelling

U (touch) Sound Word List with the “ou” Spelling

For more tools, continue to the OnTrack Reading Phonics Program

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “a” (cat) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

act add aft alp am amp an and ant apt as ash ask asp at ax back bad badge bag ban band bang bank bask bass bash bat batch bath black bland blank blast brag bran

branch brand brass cab calf* calves* camp can cap cash cask cast cat catch chaff chance chant chap chasm chat clam clamp clan clap clash clasp class crab crack craft cram cramp crash dab dad daft

dam damp dance dank dash drab draft drag drank fact fad fan fang fast fat fax flack flag flank flap flash flask flat frank gag gang gap gas gash gasp glad glance gland glass gnat grab

graft gram grand grant graph grasp grass hack had hag half* halves* ham hand hang has hat hatch have jab jack jam jazz knack lack lad lag lamb lamp lance land lap lapse lash lass last

latch laugh lax mad man map mash mask mass mast mat match math nag nap pack pact pad pal pan pant pants pass past pat patch path plan plank

plant plaque* prank quack rack raft rag ram ramp ranch rank rap rash rat sack sad sag sand sang sank sap sash sat scab scalp scan scat scrap scratch

shack shaft shag slab slack slam slang slant slap slash smack smash snack snap snatch span spank spat splash stab stack staff stag stamp stand strap swam tab tack

tact tag tan tang tank tap task tax thrash than that thatch track tract tramp trap trash valve van vast vat wag wax whack wrap wrath zap *Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “e” (red) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

The words in this list use the e spelling of the /e/ sound while the other spellings are covered in a later list. bed beg bell belch belt bench bend bent best bet blend bless bred cell cent check chef chess chest crept cress crest debt** deck den dense dent depth desk dredge drench dress dwell ebb

edge egg elf elk elm else end fed fell felt fence fend fetch fled fledge flesh flex fresh gel gem get glen guess guest held helm help hem hen hence jest jet kept keg

led ledge leg left lend length lens lent less let men melt mend mesh mess met neck nest net next peck peg pelt pen pest pet pledge press quench quest red rent rest scent

sect self sell selves send sense sent set sex shed shelf shell shred sketch sled slept smell speck spell spend spent stem stench step stress stretch strength swell swept tell tempt ten tend tense

tent test text theft them then thresh trek trench

trend vent vet vex web wedge weld well welt

went wept west wet when wreck wren wrench zest

**Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “i” (hit) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

The words in this list use the i spelling of the /i/ sound while the other spelling, y, is covered in a later list. bib bid big bill bin bit blink bliss brick bridge brim bring brink brisk build * chick chill chimp chin chink chip cliff cling clip crib cringe crisp did dig dim din dip disc dish

disk ditch drift drill drink drip fib fig film fin finch fish fist fit fix fizz flick fling flint flip frill fringe frisk gift gig gill gin gist give glimpse grid grill grim grin

grip grit guilt hid hill hilt him hinge hint hip his hiss hit hitch if ill imp in inch ink inn is it itch its jig jinx kick kid kill kiln kilt kin king

kiss kit knit lick lid lift limb limp link lip lisp list lit live milk mill mince mint miss mitt nib nil nip pick pig pill pin pinch ping pink pip pit pitch prick

prim prince print prism quick quill quilt quit quiz rib rich rid ridge rift rig rim ring rinse rip risk script shift shin ship shrill shrimp shrink sick sift silk sill silt sin

since sing singe sink sip sit six skid skill skim skin skip slick slid slim slip slit sniff snip spill spin spit splint split sprig spring sprint squid squint stick stiff still stilts

sting stink stitch strict string strip swift swim swing swish switch thick thin thing think this thrill tick till tilt tin tint tip trick trim trip twig twin twist twitch which whim whip

whisk whiz wick width wig will wilt win winch wind wing wink wish wit witch with wring wrist zinc zip *Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “o” (hot) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

The /o/ sound is spelled two different ways in the OnTrack Reading curriculum and in English words generally. The words in this list use the o spelling of the /o/ sound while the other spelling, a, is covered in a later list. blob block blond blonde* blot bob bog bomb bond boss box bronze broth chop clock clod clog cloth cock cod cog come con cop cost cot cough crop cross dock dodge dog doll

done dot dove drop flock flog flop fog fond font fox frock frog from front frost froth gloss glove god golf gone gong gosh got hog hop hot job jog jot knob knock

knot lob lock lodge loft log long lop loss lost lot love mob mock mom monk month mop mosque* moss moth nod none not notch odd of * off on once*** one*** opt ox

plod plot pod pond pop pot prod prompt prong prop rob rock rod rot rough scoff shock shop shot shove slog slop slot sloth smog snob sob sock soft solve some son song

sop sponge spot stock stop strong throb throng ton tongs

tongue* top toss tot tough trot trough won wrong

*Indicates an uncommon spelling ***Indicates a missing letter for a sound

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “u” (cut) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

The /u/ sound is spelled just two different ways in the OnTrack Reading curriculum because schwa sounds are converted to accurate pronunciations. The words in this list use the u spelling of the /u/ sound while the other spelling, ou, is covered in a later list. bluff blunt blush brush buck bud budge bug bulb bulge bump bun bunch bus bust but butt buzz chuck chug chunk club cluck clump clung clutch crumb crunch crush crust crutch cub cud

cuff cup cut drug drum drunk duck dug dull dumb dump dun dung dusk dust fluff flung flush fudge fun fund fuss glum fuzz grub grudge grump gulf gull gulp gum gun gush

gut hub huff hug hull hum hump hunch hung hunk hunt hush hut hutch judge jug jump junk just jut luck lull lump lunch lung lunge lush lust much muck mud mug mumps

munch must mutt nudge numb nun nut pluck plug plum plump plunge plus puck puff pulp pulse pump pun punch pus putt rub rug rum rump run rung rush rust rut scruff scrub

scum shrub shrug shun shut skull skunk slug slum slump smudge smug snug

struck stub stuck stuff stump stun stung stunk stunt strut such suck sulk

sum sun sung sunk swum swung thrush thrust thud thug thumb thus trudge

truck trunk trust tub tuck tuft tug tusk up us wrung

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “ae” (Mae) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-ay- bay bray clay day gay gray hay lay may pay play pray ray say slay spray stay stray sway tray way

-ai- aid aim air bail bait braid brain chain chair claim drain fail faint fair faith flair frail gain grain hail hair jail laid lain lair maid mail maim main nail paid pail pain paint

pair plain praise quail quaint raid rail rain raise sail saint snail sprain stain stair stairs strain strait tail trail train vain wail waist wait -a-e- ace age ale ape ate bale bare base

blade blame blare blaze brace brake brave cage cake came cane cape care case cave chase crane crate crave craze dale dare date daze drake face fade fake fame fare fate flake flame flare frame gale

game gape gate gave gaze glare glaze grace grade grape grate grave graze hare hate haze jade knave lace lake lame lane late made make male mane mare mate maze name pace page pale pane pave phase phrase place plane

plate quake race rage rake rare rate rave raze safe sage sake sale same sane save scale scare scrape shade shake shame shape share shave skate slate slave snake snare space spade spare square stage stake stale stare state take

tale tame tape trace trade vale vase wade wake wane wave whale wage -ea- bear break great pear steak swear tear wear -eigh- eight freight neigh sleigh weigh weight -ey- grey prey they whey

-a- ache * bass bathe * change haste paste plague * range strange taste vague * waste -ei- beige * heir ** reign reins their veil vein *Indicates an uncommon spelling **Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “ee” (see) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-e- be he me she the we -ee- bee beech beef beep beer beet bleed breed breeze cheek cheep cheer cheese creek creep deed deep deer eel fee feed feel feet flee fleet

free freeze geese glee greed green greet heel jeep jeer keel keen keep knee kneel leek meek meet need peek peel peep peer preen queen queer reed reef reek reel screen see seed seek seem seen

seep seethe * sheen sheer sheet sleek sleep sleet sleeve sneer sneeze speech speed squeeze steel steep steer street sweep sweet teem teen teeth teethe * three tree veer weed week weep wheel wheeze

-ea- beach bead beak beam bean beard beast beat bleach bleak bleat breathe * cease cheap cheat clean clear creak cream crease deal dear dream each ear ease east eat fear feast feat flea gear gleam

grease heal heap hear heat heave jeans knead lead leaf league * leak leap lease least leave meal mean meat near neat pea peace peak peal peat plea plead please pleat preach reach read real reap rear

scream sea seal seam seat sheaf shear shears sheath smear sneak speak spear squeak squeal steal steam streak stream tea teach teak team tear tease treat veal weak wean weave wheat wreath year yeast zeal

-ie- brief chief field fiend fierce grief grieve niece piece pier pierce priest shield shriek siege thief tier yield

-y- (common, but all more than one syllable) -ey- key -i- quiche*/* ski suite* -ei- seize weird -e-e- eve gene here scene scheme sphere theme these *Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “ie” (tie) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-i- bind blind child climb cried dried find fried grind hind I iced kind mild mind pint rind sign spied tried wild -ie- die cries lie lies pie pies spies tie tries vie

-i-e- bike bite bribe bride brine chime chive crime dice dike dime dine dire dive drive file fine fire five glide grime guide hide hike hire hive ice kite knife lice life like lime line

live lives mice mile mime mine nice nine pike pile pine pipe price pride prize quite rice ride ripe rise shine shrine side site size slice slide slime smile spice spike spine spire spite stride strife

strike stripe strive thrive tide tile time tire tribe twine vice vile vine vise while whine white wide wife wine wipe wire wise write

-y- by cry dry fly fry guy my pry rhyme * shy sky sly spy sty try why

-igh- bright fight flight fright high knight light might night plight right sigh sight slight tight tights thigh

*Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “oe” (toe) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-o- bold bolt both clothes * cold colt comb fold folk * ghost go gold gross hold host jolt mold molt most no old poll post rogue * roll scold scroll so sold stroll told

toll troll wolf vogue * volt -oa- boar board boast boat cloak coach coal coarse coast coat coax float foal foam goal goat groan hoard hoarse hoax load loaf loan loathe * loaves

moan moat oak oar oath oats poach road roam roar roast shoal soak soap soar throat toad toast -oe- doe foe hoe poem toe woe

-o-e- bone bore broke clone close choke chore chrome close code coke cone cope core cove dole dome dose doze drone drove fore globe gnome gore grope grove hole home hope hose joke lone mole

mope more nose note ore phone poke pole pope pore pose probe quote robe rode role rope rose scone scope score shone shore slope smoke

snore sole sore spoke stone store stove strode stroke strove swore those throne tone tore tote vole vote whole woke wore wove wrote zone

-ow- blow bow bowl crow flow flown glow grow growth know low mow own row show slow snow sow throw tow

-ou- court course four mourn pour soul source -ough- dough though *Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “ue” (cue) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

Note: Since all of the spellings below also show up as /oo/ spellings, a student should be taught to try the /ue/ sound first because it turns out that he will readily end up at the /oo/ sound where appropriate. We tend to say /oo/ when the /ue/ pronunciation is too difficult to easily articulate. The reverse is not true, however, so a student should start at /ue/ when decoding an unfamiliar word because he will usually arrive at the correct result, whether it be /ue/ or /oo/ that works in the word. -ue- cue fuel hue

-u-e- cube cure cute fume fuse huge mule pure sure * use

-u- cubed cued cured fumed fused used

-ew- few pew *Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “ar” (car) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-ar- arc arch ark arm art bar barge bark barn car card carp cart carve char

charge charm chart dark darn dart far farce farm guard hard harm harsh jar harp lard large

lark mar march mark marsh parch park part scar scarf shark sharp smart snarl spark sparse star

starch start starve tar tarp tart tsar** **Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “or” (for) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-or- born borne chord cord corn cork corpse for force forge ford fork

form fort gorge horn horse lord nor north or porch pork port scorn scorch

shorn short snort sort sport stork storm sword** sworn thorn torch torn

-ar- dwarf quart quartz swarm war ward warm warn warp wart wharf **Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “er” (her) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-er- berth clerk fern germ her herd jerk merge nerve per perch perm serf serve sperm swerve term verb verge verse

-ir- bird birth chirp dirt fir firm first flirt girl shirk shirt sir skirt squirt stir swirl third thirst twirl whirl

-ur- blur burn burp burst church churn curb curl curse curve fur hurl hurt lurch lurk nurse purge purse spur spurt surf turf turn urge urn

-ear- earl earn heard hearse learn pearl search -or- word work world worm worse worst worth

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “err” (merry) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

The /err/ sound requires more curriculum decisions than any other sound except possibly the /or/ sound. Essentially, if Mary, merry and marry are homonyms in your area then it is feasible, even advisable, to teach an /err/ sound to clean up a few issues. There are nine spellings of /err/ in the OnTrack Reading curriculum, but four of them are easily incorporated in the /ae/ lesson where words like chair, bear, their, and share can be explained as containing /ae/ sounds followed by the consonant /r/ sound Students generally have no trouble with such words once they know the /ae/ spellings. However, the other five spellings, “ar” (Mary), “er” (very), “arr” (marry), “err” (merry) and ere (where) introduce various issues, especially if all of these words sound like they have identical vowel sounds in the local dialect. In most other cases, both “ar” and “er” are treated as digraphs, so it makes sense to continue that practice here. In the case of “ere” only “where” and “there” (plus derivatives like “somewhere”) and the archaic “ere” are encountered, and any other means of breaking apart “ere” into two sounds would just introduce new spellings of sounds, so it makes sense to include the “ere” spelling here. And “arr” and “err” are almost always pronounced the same in every word they appear with the exception of words like “charred” so again it works to include them in an /err/ lesson. The “ar” spelling of /err/ represents the fourth occurrence of the digraph “ar” in the curriculum and the digraph “er” represents the second occurrence. The others do not occur elsewhere because the “arr” spelling is not covered as a spelling of the /ar/ sound earlier. To make matters even more complicated, the list here is short because most occurrences of the /err/ sound spelled with these five spellings are multisyllable words. With that said, here is the one-syllable word list for the /err/ sound. -ere- there where

-err- err

-ar- scarce

-arr- -er- (Both only occur as /err/ sounds in multisyllable words)

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “ow” (cow) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-ow- bow brow brown browse clown cow crowd crown down drown fowl frown gown growl how howl now plow prowl scowl sow town vow

-ou- blouse bounce bound bout cloud clout couch count crouch doubt** dour foul found grouch ground hound hour** house joust loud lounge louse mound mount mouse mouth noun pound ounce our out pouch pounce pout

proud round rouse route scour scout scrounge shout slouch snout sound sour south spouse spout sprout stout trout wound -ough- bough drought **Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “oy” (toy) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-oy- buoy * boy coy joy toy

-oi- boil broil choice coil coin

foil join joint moist noise oil oink

point roil soil spoil toil voice *Indicates an uncommon spelling

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “oo” (zoo) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-oo- bloom boom boost boot brood broom choose cool doom drool droop food fool goose groom groove hoop hoot hooves loom loop loose loot mood moon moor moose noon noose ooze pool proof room roost

school scoop shoot smooth snoop soon soothe* spoon stool stoop swoop too tool tooth troop zoo zoom -ew- blew brew chew crew dew drew flew Jew knew new news newt screw shrew stew shrewd

-ue- blue clue due glue sue true -u-e- brute crude duke dune flute June lure nude prune rude rule tube tune truce -o- do lose move prove to tomb two ** who

whom whose womb -ui- fruit juice bruise cruise -ou- group soup tour wound you youth -u- flu truth -ough- through *Indicates an uncommon spelling **Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “oul” (would) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-oo- book brook cook crook good hood hoof hook

look roof rook root shook soot took wood wool

-u- bull bush full pull push put

-oul- could should would

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “aw” (saw) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-aw- awl bawl brawl claw crawl dawn draw drawn fawn flaw gnaw hawk jaw

law lawn paw pawn prawn raw saw scrawl shawl spawn sprawl squawk straw thaw yawn

-au- cause clause fault fraud gauze haul haunt jaunt launch maul mauve pause sauce taunt taut vault

-augh- caught taught -ough- bought brought fought sought thought

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “e” (head, said) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

-ea- bread breadth breath breast dead deaf death dread head health

lead leapt meant read realm spread sweat thread threat tread wealth

-ai- said (Remaining words with digraph “ai” are multisyllable words)

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “i” (gym) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

The “i” spelling of /i/ is covered early in the Basic Code section and the “y” spelling is left to later when it is presented on its own. It is useful to point out to students that the letter “y” represents the same three sounds as the letter “i” does. The “y” spelling of /i/ represents the third occurrence of the letter “y” in the curriculum. The typical “yuh” sound which is taught as the consonant sound of the letter “y” in words like “yard” is not taught. Instead, students are shown during instruction on the /ee/ sound how using an /ee/ sound when the letter “y” is encountered at the beginning of a word, and pronouncing it very quickly, results in the correct word being enunciated. -y- crypt gym hymn myth

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “o” (want) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

...The /o/ sound is spelled only two ways in the OnTrack Reading curriculum, as the basic code spelling “o,” and as the third sound of the letter “a.” all bald balk * ball call calm chalk * fall false hall halt mall malt palm psalm * quad salt

scald small squad squash squat stall swamp swan swap swat stalk* talk * tall walk * wall waltz wand

want was wash wasp watch watt what yacht ** *Indicates an uncommon spelling **Indicates an extraneous letter

One Syllable Words with Vowel Sound “u” (touch) Copyright © 2011 OnTrack Reading

Note: Very few one syllable words use the “ou” spelling of the /u/ sound. It is much a much more common spelling in multisyllable words. -ou- touch young