Why Are Some Words So Tricky?
You know how to sound out words. You see c-a-t and you say "cat." That's great! But some words in English don't play by the rules. They have letters that make surprise sounds. We call these irregularly spelled words — or just "tricky words."
Why does English have tricky words? It is because English borrowed words from many languages a long, long time ago. Each language had its own way of spelling. So some words kept their old, funny spellings!
So here is the question: If you can't sound these words out, how do you read them? You learn them by heart. You look at them, practice them, and remember them as whole words. That's what this lesson is all about!
Big Ideas About Tricky Words
Before we start learning tricky words, let's understand four big ideas. These ideas will help you become a super reader!
They Don't Sound Out
Learn Them by Sight
They Are Everywhere
Practice Makes Perfect
A Map of Tricky Words
Let's look at a picture that shows some of the most important tricky words you'll learn in first grade. The pink letters are the tricky parts — the parts that don't make the sound you'd expect!
See the colored letters? Those are the parts that surprise us. In the word "said," the letters ai make an "eh" sound, not the "ay" sound you learned. In "one," the o makes a "wuh" sound. Tricky, right?
You don't have to remember why these parts are tricky. You just need to remember what the whole word looks like and how to say it. That's the secret!
How to Learn Tricky Words
Here is a fun way to learn any tricky word. Follow these steps, and soon you'll know it by heart!
Let's try it with the word "said." First, see it — look at the word: said. Next, say it out loud: "sed." Then, spell it letter by letter: S-A-I-D. Finally, write it on paper or with your finger in the air!
Do this a few times for each word. You can even do it with a friend or a grown-up. The more times you see, say, spell, and write the word, the better you'll remember it!
Groups of Tricky Words
Here are some of the most important tricky words for first graders. We put them in groups to help you learn them. Try to read each word!
Group 1 — Words You See Every Day
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Word 3 | Word 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| the | a | is | was |
| are | to | do | of |
Group 2 — People & Action Words
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Word 3 | Word 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| you | they | he | she |
| said | have | come | give |
Group 3 — Describing & Question Words
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Word 3 | Word 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| one | two | once | what |
| where | there | here | were |
Group 4 — More Tricky Friends
| Word 1 | Word 2 | Word 3 | Word 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| some | from | love | put |
| pull | full | could | would |
The words on the right side of the bar show up all the time in your books. The word "the" is the most common word in English! That's why learning these tricky words helps you read so much faster.
Let's Read a Sentence Together
Now let's use what we learned! Here is a sentence with tricky words. We'll read it step by step.
Tips and Tricks for Tricky Words
Some ways of learning work better than others. Let's look at what helps the most and what's harder.
| What Helps | Why It Works | Fun Level |
|---|---|---|
| Flash cards | You see the word over and over. | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Reading books | Tricky words pop up in real stories. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Writing the word 3 times | Your hand helps your brain remember. | ⭐⭐⭐ |
| Rainbow writing | Write the word in different colors — it sticks in your brain! | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| Singing or chanting the letters | Songs help you remember the spelling. | ⭐⭐⭐⭐ |
| What's Harder | Why |
|---|---|
| Trying to sound the word out | The letters trick you! You might say the wrong word. |
| Only reading the word once | One time is not enough. You need to see it many times. |
What Comes Next?
Right now you are learning your first set of tricky words. As you keep reading, you'll learn even more! Let's see what's ahead.
| Now (1st Grade) | Later (2nd Grade & Beyond) |
|---|---|
| Learn about 30–50 tricky words | Learn hundreds of new words! |
| Words like: said, the, one, have | Bigger words like: enough, through, thought |
| See it, say it, spell it, write it | You'll start to notice patterns even in tricky words |
| Read short sentences and stories | Read chapter books and longer stories |
Every tricky word you learn now makes reading easier later. You're building a word bank in your brain. The bigger your word bank gets, the faster and smoother you can read anything!
In second grade, you'll also learn that some tricky words have patterns. For example, "could," "would," and "should" all have the same tricky part: ould. Cool, right? But for now, just focus on learning each word one at a time.
Practice Time!
Let's see how many tricky words you know! Try each question, then click the button to see the answer.