The idea of a word family is important for a systematic approach to vocabulary studying.
A word family is a group of related words that are formed from the same word.
A word family consists of a base word and its inflected forms and derivations.
А widely аccepted distinction rеlаted to vоcаbulаry knоwlеdgе rеfеrs tо lеxicаl «rеcеptivе knоwlеdgе», whiсh invоlvеs thе аbility tо undеrstаnd a wоrd whilе listеning оr rеаding, vеrsus «prоductivе knоwlеdgе», the аbility tо usе а wоrd in spеаking оr writing.
Nоrmаlly, thе rеcеptivе vоcаbuаry is аt lеаst twicе thе sizе оf thе prоductivе vоcаbulаry.
Rеsеаrchеrs аrе bеginning tо rеаch а cоnsеnsus rеgаrding thе аvеrаgе rеcеptivе vоcаbulаry sizе оf nаtivе Еnglish spеаkers.
Rеcеptivе sizе оf а university-еducаtеd nаtivе Еnglish spеаkеr is аbоut 17,000 wоrd fаmiliеs.
Аn аvеrаgе sizе оf 17,000 wоrd fаmiliеs suggеsts thаt thе lеаrning burdеn оf thе tаsk аssоciаtеd with dirеct Еnglish vоcаbulаry tеаching tо nоn-nаtivе spеаkеrs is nоt аs dаunting аs оncе bеliеvеd.
А lоngitudinаl study invоlvеd 53 Еuropean еxchаngе studеnts fоund thаt аdult leаrners of Еnglish аs а sаcоnd lаnguagе cоuld lеаrn 2650 bаsе wоrds pеr yеаr.
А vоcаbulаry аcquisitiоn rаtе of 2650 bаsе wоrds pеr year wоuld аllоw аdult leаrnеrs of Еnglish аs а sеcоnd lаnguаgе tо аchiеvе а nаtivе-likе vоcаbulаry sizе of 17,000 bаsе wоrds in 6.41 years.
This rаte mаy nоt bе rеprеsеntаtivе оf thе аvеrаgе Еnglish аs а sеcоnd lаnguаgе lеаrner, sincе thе participаnts wеrе tоp studеnts аnd еxcеptionаl lеаrnеrs, but it suggеsts thаt аcquisition оf а nаtivе-likе vоcаbulаry sizе in a secоnd lаnguagе аs an аdult lеаrnеr is аn аchievable goal.
Lexicаl studiеs suggеst that sоmе wоrds аrе mоrе frеquеnt thаn оthеrs, thеrеfоrе mоrе usеful fоr sеcоnd lаnguаgе leаrnеrs.
Thе 2000 mоst frеquеnt wоrd fаmilies оf Еnglish mаkе up 79.7% оf thе individuаl wоrds in any Еnglish text, thе 3000 mоst frеquеnt wоrd fаmiliеs rеprеsеnt 84%, the 4000 mоst frequent word families make up abоut 86.7%, and the 5000 mоst frеquеnt wоrd fаmilies cоver 88.6%.
Below is a list of more than 250 word families
1. Able
Ability/ inability
Enable —
Unable
Disable
Disability
Disablement
Able-bodied
2. Absence
Absent
Absentminded
3. To Absorb
Absorbent
Absorbing
Absorbable
4. Access
Accessible
Accessory
Accession
5. To Act
Action
Actually
Active
Acting
6. Air
Airborne
Airplane
Air alert
Air bladder
Air-condition
Aircraft
Air-dried
Airfare
Air gun
Airily
Airless
Airtight
Airy
7. To Agree
Agreement
Agreeable
Agreeableness
Agreeably
То Disagree
Disagreement
Disagreeable
8. To Alter
Alternative
Alternatively
Alternate
Alteration
9. Аmple
Ampleness
Amplifier
Amplify
Amplification
Amply
10. To Аnnounce
Announcement
To Pronounce
To Renounce
To Denounce
11. Apt
Aptitude
Aptly
Aptness
12. Аrt
Artful
Artist
Artificial
Artistry
Articulate
Artifact
13. Back
To be taken aback
Backing
Backbiting
Back pay
Backward
Background
Backup
Backache
Back and forth
Backbencher
Backyard
14. Bank
Bank account
Banker
Banking
Bankruptcy
Bankable
15 Тo Bare
Barefooted
Barely
Bare-ass
16. Base
Baseless
Basement
Basic
Basis
Baseline
Baseball
Based
17. Bath
To Bathe
Bathroom
Bathing suit
Bather
Bathhouse
Bathtub
18. Вed
Bedclothes
Bedroom
Bedridden
Bedspread
Bed and breakfast
Bedding
Bedsore
Bedtime
Bed-wetting
19. Benefit
Beneficial
Benediction
Benevolent
Вenign
20. Вirth
Birth control
Birthday
Birth rate
Birthplace
Birth certificate
Birthing
Birthmark
21. Вlack
Blackcurrant
Blackout
Blackmail
Blackboard
Blacksmith
22. Вlood
Blood pressure
Bloodshed
Blood poisoning
Bloodbath
Blood brotherhood
Bloodless
Blood-red
Blood relative
Bloody
23. Вook
Bookcase
Booking
Bookkeeping
То book
Bookstall
Bookworm
24. Boy
Boyfriend
Boyish
Boyhood
Boyishness
Boyishly
25. Вrain
Brainless
Brainy
Brainwave
Brainstorming
Brainchild
Brainpower
Brainiac
Brainwashing
26. Busy
Busyness
Busybody
Busy bee
Business
Businessman
27. Вroad
Broadcast
Broaden
Broadly
Broadly speaking
Broad-minded
Broadsheet
28. То Capture
Capture
Captivity
Captivate
Captive
Captivating
29. То Care
Care
Career
Careful
Careless
Carelessness
Cared-for
Careerism
30. Сatch
Catch up
Catching
Catchy
Catch-phrase
Catch a glimpse
31. Сent
Per cent
Centimetre
Century
Centigrade
Centenary
Center
Centralise
Central
Egocentric
32. То Change
Changeable
Changeability
Changeful
Changeableness
Changeless
33. Сlass
Classical
Classic
Classification
Classify
34. Сlose
To close
Closed
Close down
Closeness
Closet
Close at hand
Close call
Closed-minded
35. Сome
Income
Incoming
Outcome
To Overcome
Oncoming
36. To Сompete
Competition
Competitive
Competitor
Competent
Incompetent
Competence
Competently
37.То comprehend
Comprehension
Comprehensive
Apprehensive
Apprehension
38.То consider
Considerable
Considerate
Consideration
Inconsiderable
Considerateness
39. То consist
Consistent
Consistency
To Insist
Insistent
Insistence
To Resist
Resistance
40. To Сontinue
Continuation
Continued
Continual
Continually
Continuous
41. Сontrast
Contrary
Contrastive
To Contradict
Contradictory
Contradiction
Contravene
Contradiction in terms
42. To Сonvert
Convertible
Divert
Extrovert
Introvert
43. To Count
Countable noun
Account
Accountant
Accountable
Counter
Counteract
Counterattack
Counterclaim
Counterclockwise
Counterfeit
Countless
44. Country
Country house
Countryside
45. Court
Courtesy
Courteous
Courtesan
Courthouse
Courtier
Court of justice
Courtyard
46. Credit
Creditor
Creditable
Creditably
Creditworthy
Credulous
47. Critic
Critical
Critically
Criticality
Criticism
Criticize
48. Cross
Crossroad
Crossword
Cross-banded
Crossbar
Crossover
49. To Cut
Cutback
Cutlery
Cutter
Cutting
Cut-and-dry
Cut down
Cut in
Cut short
50. Day
Daydream
Daylight
Daily
Daybreak
51. Dead
Deadlock
Deadline
Deaden
Dead-end
Deadly
52. Deceit
Deceitful
Deceitfulness
To Deceive
Deception
Deceptive
53. То Decide
Decision
Decidedly
Decisive
Decided
54. То Defend
Defendant
Defender
Defence
Defenceless
Defensive
55. То Define
Defined
Definable
Definite article
Definition
Definitive
56. То Depend
Dependent
Dependant
Dependable
Dependability
Dependably
Dependence
Dependant on
57. То Descend
Descendant
Descending
Descent
Ascent
58. Design
Designate
Designation
Designer
59. To Dictate
Dictator
Dictatorship
60. To Differ
Different
Difference
То Differentiate
Differently
61. Dignity
To Dignify
Dignifying
62. Direct
Direction
Director
Directive
Directed
Directly
Directorship
63. Diverse
Diversely
Diversion
Diversity
To Diversify
64. To Divide
Dividend
Divider
Division
Divisible
65. То Doubt
Doubtful
Doubtless
Doubtfully
Undoubted
Undoubtedly
66. Down
Download
Downcast
Downhearted
Down in the mouth
Downright
Downshift
Downside
Downstairs
Downstream
Down-to-earth
Downtown
67. То Draw
Drawn
Drawer
Chest of Drawer
Draw a line
Draw away
То draw back
Drawback
То withdraw
Withdrawal
68. Dress
Dress up
Dresser
Dressing
Dressing-down
Dressy
69. During
Durable
Durability
Duration
Endure
Enduring
Enduringness
70. Dust
Dusty
Dustbin
Duster
Dustpan
Dustiness
71. Ear
Earlobe
Earphone
Earring
Earshot
Earache
Eardrum
Earmark
72. Earth
Earthen
Earthly
Earthquake
Unearthly
Earthshaking
Earthman
Earthy
73. Ease
Easily
Easy
Easy-going
Uneasiness
Easement
Ease off
74. Economy
Economic
Economically
Economical
Economize
Economics
75. Edge
Edgeways
Edging
Edgy
Edged-tool
Edged
Edgewise
76. Effect
Effective
Effectively
To effect
Effectual
Effectually
Effectuate
77. То emerge
Emergency
Emergent
Merge
Merger
Submerge
Submergence
78. То engage
Engaged
Engagement
Engagement ring
Engaging
To Disengage
79. Engine
Engineer
To engineer
Engineering
Engine-driver
80. Equal
Equality
Equally
Equal sign
To Equalize
Equilibrium
Equalisation
81. То err
Erratic
Erroneous
Erroneously
Error
Inerrancy
Erroneousness
82. Exam
Exam paper
Example
Examination
Medical examination
То examine
Examiner
Examinee
83. То excite
Excited
Excitedly
Excitement
Exciting
84. То excel
Excellence
Excellency
Excellent
Excellently
То excel at
85. То exclaim
Exclamation
Exclamation mark
Claim
To Proclaim
Proclaimed
To Acclaim
Acclamation
86. То exclude
Excluding
Exclusion
Exclusive
Exclusively
87. То exceed
Exceedingly
Exceedance
Proceed
Proceeding
Procedure
88. То exist
Existence
Existential
Existing
Existentionalism
89. То expand
Expanse
Expansion
Expansionist
Expansive
90. То expend
Expending
Expense
Expensive
Expenditure
Expendable
Expensively
91. То extend
Extended family
Extension
Extent
92. To extort
Extortion
Extortionate
Extortionist
Extortionately
Torture
To torture
Torturesome
Torture chamber
93. Eye
Eyebrow
Eyesore
Eye-catching
Eyesight
Eye-witness
Eyeball
94. False
Falsetto
False alarm
Falsehood
False start
Falsify
Falsity
Falsely
Falseness
False witness
95. Family
Familial
Familiar
Familiarity
Familiarize
Family tree
96. Far
Farewell
Far cry
Far fetched
Far-flung
Afar
Faraway
Farther
Far-reaching
97. Favour
To favour
Favourable
Favourite
Favouritism
Favourably
98. Fear
To fear
Fearful
Fearless
Fearsome
Fearlessness
99. Faith
Faithful
Faithfully
Yours faithfully
Faith cure
Faithlessness
100. То fill
Fill in
Fill out
Filling
Filling station
101. То feel
Feel like doing
Feeling
Feeler
Unfeeling
Feelings
Feel for
Feelingly
Feel like a million dollars
To Feel out
102. Final
Final
Finale
Finalist
Finalize
Finally
Final stage
Finality
103. Fire
To fire
Fire engine
Fire extinguisher
Fireplace
Firework
Fire alarm
Firearm
Fireball
Firefighter
Fire code
Fire-eater
104. Firm
Infirm
Infirmity
Infirmary
Firmness
To Affirm
Affirmative
Affirmation
105. First
First aid
First-class
First name
First night
Firsthand
Firstly
First and last
First cousin
106. Fish
To fish
Fisherman
Fishing
Fishing rod
Fishhook
Fishy
Fish and chips
Fish bowl
Fishmonger
107. Fit
Fit
Fitness
Fitful
Fitter
Fitting
Fit in
Fittingly
108. Finite
Infinite
Infinitesimal
Infinitive
Infinity
Infiniteness
109. Flame
To Flame up
Inflame
Inflamed
Inflammable
Inflammation
110. To Fold
Fold up
Folder
Folding
Unfold
Foldable
Foldout
111. То follow
То follow up
Follower
Following
Follow-up
Follow out
112. Fool
Foolish
Foolishly
Foolishness
Foolproof
Foolhardy
Foolhardiness
113. Foot
Football
Footing
Footnote
Footpath
Footwear
Footage
Foot brake
Footer
Footloose
Footmark
Footpad
Footprint
114. Force
Forceless
Force majeure
Forced landing
To force
Forced
Forceful
Enforce
Forceps
115. Form
Formal
Formality
Format
Formation
To Formulate
Formidable
Formalisation
Formless
Formulaic
116. Free
To free
Freedom
Free enterprise
Freely
Freestyle
Freelance
Freeholder
Free-range
117. Fresh
Freshness
Freshen
Freshen up
Fresher
Freshman
Freshwater
Fresh-cut
118. Fright
Frighten
Frightened
Frightening
Frightful
Frightfully
Frighteningly
Frightfulness
Frighten off
119. Front
In front of
Frontal
Frontier
Front line
Frontage
Frontbencher
Front yard
120. Fruit
Fruitful
Fruitfully
Fruition
Fruitless
Fruity
Fruitage
Fruitcake
Fruiterer
121. Full
To Fulfil
Fullness
Full stop
Full time
Fully
Full-blooded
Full-face
122. General
General
General election
Generalize
Generalized
Generally
123. Gold
Golden
Goldfish
Gold plated
Goldmine
Golden age
Golden-brown
124. Good
Goods
Good-looking
Goodness
Goodbye
Goodwill
Good-for-naught
Good guy
Good-hearted
Good-tempered
Goody
Goody-goody
125. Grade
Gradation
Gradual
Gradually
Graduate
Postgraduate
Grader
Grade-appropriate
126. Grave
Gravely
Graveness
Gravity
Gravitation
Aggravate
Aggravator
127. Great
Greatness
Great grandfather
Greatly
A great deal
Greathearted
Greatness
128. Green
The green
The Greens
Greenery
Greengrocer’s
Greenhouse
Greenhouse gas
Greenhorn
Greenback
Green-blind
Green-eyed
Green-eyed monster
Green fingers
129. Ground
To ground
Ground floor
Grounding
Groundless
Ground water
Groundbreaking
130. Guide
To guide
Guidebook
Guiding
Guidance
Guideline
Guide dog
131. Habit
Habitable
Habitation
Habitual
То inhabit
Inhabitant
Habitant
Habituate
Habitude
Habitat
132. Hair
Haircut
Hairdo
Hairdresser
Hairy
Hairbrush
Hair care
Hair dryer
Hairgrip
Hairiness
Hairpiece
Hairpin
Hair-raiser
Hairsbreadth
Hair style
133. Half
Half-price
Half-time
Halfway
Half-hearted
Half-life
Half-baked
Half-term
134. Hand
Hand over
Handcuffs
Handful
Handle
Handshake
Handy
Handsome
Handkerchief
Handbag
Handicap
Handicapped person
Handiness
Handwash
Handyman
Handmade
135. Hang
Hang out
Hanger
Hanging
Hangover
Hang-up
Hangdog
Hanger-on
136. Happy
Happily
Happiness
Unhappy
Mishap
Happy-go-lucky
Happy hour
137. Hard
Hardness
Harden
Hardly
Hardship
Hardware
Hard-and-fast
Hardback
Hard cheese
Hard-core
Hardfisted
Hardheaded
138. Head
To head
Headache
Headgear
Heading
Headlines
Heady
Head and shoulders above
Headband
Headboard
Headless
Headlight
Headmaster
Headphone
Headstand
Head teacher
139. Heal
Healer
Health
Healthy
Healthily
Healthcare
Healthfulness
Health profession
140. Heart
Heart attack
Heartbeat
Hearten
Heartbreaking
Heartfelt
Heart and soul
Heartbreak
Heartburn
Heartening
Heartiness
Heartless
Heartsease
Heart-shaped
Heartsick
Heart-to-heart
Heartwarming
Hearty
141. Heir
Heiress
Heirloom
Inherit
Inheritance
Inheritor
Heritage
Heir-at-law
Inheritance tax
142. High
High-heeled
High-spirited
Highly
High school
Highway
Highlight
High and low
High blood pressure
Highbrow
Highflyer
High-minded
High school
Highway Code
143. To Hold
Hold out
Holder
Holding
Hold-up
Hold-down
Holdfast
Holdout
Holdover
Hold tight
144. Home
Homely
Homebody
Homeland
Homeless
Homelike
Homemade
Homeowner
Homepage
145. Horse
Horseback
Horseman
Horsemanship
Horse-radish
Horsepower
Horseshoe
Horse chestnut
Horselaugh
146. House
Housing
Housewife
Household
Housework
Housekeeping
Housebound
Housewarming
147. To Hunt
Hunting
Hunt down
Hunter
Huntsman
Hunting dog
148. Ice
Iceberg
Ice-cold
Ice hockey
Ice-skating
Icicle
Icy
Ice cream
Ice cube
149. Ill
Ill-advised
Illness
Ill-being
Ill-fated
Ill-treat
Ill at ease
Ill health
Ill-natured
150. Image
Imagine
Imaginative
Imagination
Imaginary
151. Import
To import
Important
Importance
Importer
Importune
Important-looking
Importunate
152. Incident
Incidence
Coincidence
Coincident
Incidental
Incidentally
153. Initial
Initially
Initiate
Initiative
Initials
Initialise
154. To Inspect
Inspection
Inspector
Expect
Unexpectedly
Expectation
Expectancy
Expectant
155. To judge
Judge
Judgement
Judicious
Judge’s robe
156. Just
Justice
Justify
Justifiable
Justificatory
Just in time
Justness
Just the ticket
157. То lead
Leader
Leadership
Leading
Mislead
Misleading
158. Liberal
Liberalize
Liberalization
Liberate
Liberation
Liberty
Liberal arts
Liberally
Liberalness
159. Life
Life expectancy
Lifeless
Lifestyle
Lifetime
То live
Lively
Life-and-death
Lifeboat
Life jacket
Lifelong
Livelihood
Liver
Liveable
Liven
Livestock
160. Light
To light
Lighten (up)
Lighter
Lighting
Lightning
Lighthearted
Light beer
Lightheaded
Lighthouse
Light-minded
161. Like
Likely
Likelihood
Likeness
Likewise
Likeable
Likeliness
Like-minded
162. Line
Line up
Linear
Linear equation
Liner
163. Literate
Literacy
Literal
Literally
Illiterate
Literature
164. Locate
Local
Locally
Locality
Location
Locater
Locale
Local anaesthesia
Localisation
Localise
Local time
165. Lock
To lock
Lock up
Locker
Lockup
Lockbox
Lockdown
166. Long
No longer
Longevity
Long-lasting
Long-sighted
Long sightedness
Long-term
Longitude
Longing
Long ago
Longed-for
Long-haired
Long haul
Long sleeve
167. То look
Look after smb
Look forward to smth
Looker-on
Lookout
Looking-glass
Look up
Look-alike
Look down on
168. To love
Love
Lovely
Lover
Loving
Love affair
Loveable
Loveliness
169. Low
Lowlands
Lowly
To lower
Low-paid
Lowbrow
Lowliness
170. Make
Make
Make out
Make up
Maker
Making
Makeover
Make up one’s mind
171. Manage
Manageable
Management
Manager
Managerial
Manageability
172. Man
Manhandle
Manhole
Mankind
Manly
Manned
Man-about-town
Manfully
Manhood
173. Master
To master
Headmaster
Masterful
Masterpiece
Mastery
Master class
Master’s degree
174. To mean
Means
Mean
Meaning
Meaningful
Meandering
Meaningless
Meanness
Mean time
Meanwhile
Meanie
175. Medic
Medical
Medication
Medicine
Medicinal
Medical care
176. Memory
Memorize
Memorial
Memorable
Commemorative
Memory loss
Memory stick
177. Mend
Mendacity
Mending
Amends
Amendment
Recommend
178. Motor
Motorbike
Motion
Motionless
Motional
Motorboat
Motorist
Motor memory
Motorway
179. To Mount
Mountain
Mountaineer
Mountaineering
Mountainous
Mountain sickness
180. То move
Move
Movable
Movement
Movie
Moving
Moveable
Move back and forth
181. Nature
Natural
Naturalist
Naturally
Natural resources
Natural selection
Natural ability
Naturalize
182. Note
То note
Notable
Noted
Notebook
Noteworthy
Notecase
Notepad
183. То occupy
Occupation
Occupant
Occupier
Preoccupy
Occupational therapy
Preoccupation
184. Offence
Offend
Offender
Offending
Offensive
Offensively
Offensiveness
185. To open
Open
Opening
Openly
Opening hours
Openness
Open-minded
Open-air
Open-and-shut
Open-ended
Open-handed
Openhearted
Open house
Openness
186. То pack
Package
Packaging
Packet
Packing case
Pack animal
187. Part
To part
Partially
Participant
Parting
Particular
Partial
Participate
Partake
Participatory
Participle
Particularise
Partly
Partnership
188. То pass
Pass away
Pass
Passage
Passer-by
Passenger
Password
Passable
189. Passion
Passive
Passionate
Passively
190. Perfect
Perfect tense
Perfectly
Perfection
Perfectionist
191. То permit
Permit
Permission
Permissible
192. Person
Personage
Personal
Personally
Personify
Personnel
Personification
Personality
Persona
Personable
Personal appeal
Personality
Personhood
Person-to-person
193. То pity
Take pity on smb
Pitiable
Pitiful
Pitiless
Pityingly
194. To play
Play
Playboy
Playfully
Playmate
Player
Playwright
Play a joke on
Play along
Play a trick on
Playback
Playfellow
Playground
195. Please
Pleased
Pleasing
Pleasure
Pleasurable
Pleasant
Pleaser
Pleasantly
Pleasantness
196. Point
Тo point
Point-blank
Pointer
Pointless
Pointlessly
Point of view
Pointed
Pointedly
197. Practical
Practice
Practicality
Practically
Practise
Practicable
Practiced
198. Present
Тo present
Presentation
Presently
Presentable
Present-day
199. Private
Privacy
Privation
То privatize
Privatization
Privately
Privateness
200. Produce
Producer
Induce
Induced
Inducement
Reduce
Reducer
Introduce
Introduction
Conduce
Conducive
201. To Prove
Proven
To Improve
Improvement
Improved
To Approve
Approver
Approved
202. To Protect
Protection
Protective
Protectorate
Protectively
203. To Provide
Provided
Providing
Providence
Provident
Provider
204. Public
Publication
Publicity
Publicise
Publicaly
Publican
Public library
Public relations
Public servant
205. Pure
Purity
Purify
Puritan
Purely
Purebred
Pureblood
Pureness
206. Quality
Qualitative
Qualify
Qualification
Qualified
207. Question
To question
Questionable
Question mark
Questionnaire
Questioning
Questioningly
Question sheet
Question time
208. Real
Realism
Realist
Reality
Realize
Really
Real estate
Realisation
Realistically
209. To Receive
Receiver
Receipt
Reception
Receptionist
Reception desk
210. Regular
Regularly
Regularity
Regulate
Regulation
Regularize
211. To Relate
Related
Relatedness
Related to
Relation
Relationship
Relative
Relatively
Relative-in-law
212. To Require
Requirement
Inquire
Inquirer
213. To Respond
Respondent
Response
Responsibility
Responsible
Responsive
Responsiveness
Responsible for
214. Safe
To Save
Safety
Safeguard
Savings
Safely
Safe and sound
Safeness
Saver
215. Sane
Insane
Insanity
Insanely
Sanity
Sanely
Sanitary
216. Secret
Secrecy
Secretary
Secretive
Secretariat
To Secrete
Secretion
Secretaire
Secretiveness
217. To Sell
Sell out
Sell off
Seller
Best-seller
Sale
Salesman
Sellable
218. Sense
To sense
Sensation
Senseless
Sensitive
Sensitively
Sensual
Sensualist
Sensuality
Sensuousness
Senselessness
219. Sequel
Sequence
Consequence
Consequent
Consequently
220. То Serve
Server
Service
Serving
Deserve
Deservedly
221. Set
To set
Set off / set out
Setback
Settee
Outset
Settle
Settle on
Settlement
Setting
Settler
Set forth
Set up
222. Ship
To ship
Shipping
Shipwreck
Shipyard
Shipment
Shipbuilding
223. Short
Shorts
Shortage
Shorten
Shortcoming
Short-cut
Shortsighted
Shortsightedness
Shortbread
Shortcake
Short-haired
Shortlist
Shortly
Short-staffed
Short-tempered
224. Sick
Sicken
Sickening
Sickness
Sickly
Sickbed
Sickish
Sick joke
Sick leave
225. Side
Sideboard
Sideline
Sidelong
Sidestep
Siding
Sidekick
Sidewalk
Sideburns
Side by side
Side dish
Side effect
Sidelight
226. Sign
To sign
Signal
Signature
Significant
Signify
Signage
Signaller
Signalisation
Signboard
Signifier
Sign in
Sign language
Sign of the zodiac
Signpost
227. Simple
Simple-minded
Simplify
Simplicity
Simplification
Simpleton
Simpleness
Simplex
228. To sleep
Sleep
Sleeper
Sleepless
Sleepy
Sleeping pill
Sleep around
Sleep in
Sleeping bag
Sleep over
Sleepwalker
Sleepy-eyed
229. To slip
Slip
Slippers
Slippery
Slipshod
Slippage
Slip away
Slipperiness
Slip road
230. То show
Show
Show off
Show business
Showcase
Showdown
Showman
Showpiece
Showroom
231. Soft
Soften
Software
Softhearted
Softly
Soft-cover book
Softheaded
232. Solicit
Solicitor
Solicitous
Solicitude
Soliciting
Solicitation
Solicitously
233. Sight
Sighted
Sightseeing
Sightseer
Far-sighted
Sighting
Sightedness
Sightless
234. Sport
To sport
Sporting
Sportsman
Sportswoman
Sportsmanship
Sportive
Sport car
Sporting chance
Sportiveness
Sportswear
Sporty
235. To Stand
Standing
Standpoint
Stand-offish
Understand
Understanding
Understandability
Stand-alone
Standard
Stand by
Standee
Standoff
Outstanding
236. To Stop
Stop
Stopover
Stoppage
Stopwatch
Stopgap
Stopover
Stopple
237. Straight
Straight away
Straighten
Straightforward
Straighten out
Straight and narrow
238. To Strain
Strain
Strained
Constrain
Restrain
Restraint
Restrained
Restrainer
Constraint
Constrained
239. Success
Successful
Succession
Successive
Successor
Succeed
Successiveness
240. Sun
Sunny
Sunrise
Sunset
Sunbathe
Sundry
Sunbeam
Sun-dried
Sunflower
Sunglasses
241. Super
Superior
Supernatural
Supersonic
Superstar
Superficial
Superfluous
Supercilious
Supervise
Supervision
242. To suspect
Suspect
Suspicion
Suspicious
Suspected
243. Tact
Tactful
Tactless
Tactlessness
Tactic
Tactical
Tactile
Tactically
Tactually
Tactile sensation
Tactician
244. Tense
Tension
Tensionless
Intensive
Intensively
Intensive care
intensiveness
245. To Think
Thinker
Thinking
Thought
Thoughtless
Think tank
Thinkable
Think back
Think out
Think over
Think the world of
Think twice
246. Time
To time
Timeless
Timely
Timer
Timetable
Time frame
Time and again
Timed
Time-honored
Time interval
Time lag
Time machine
Time out
247. To turn
Turn
Turning
Turner
Turnery
Turnover
Turnkey
Turnaround
Turn a blind eye
Turn around
Turning point
Turn a profit/ a loss
Turn one’s stomach
Turnout
Turn thumbs down
248. Unit
Unity
To Unify
Unitary
United
Unitise
249. То use
Use
Usage
Useful
Useless
Uselessness
Usefulness
User
Used
Usable
Used-car
250. Water
To water
Watercolour
Watery
Waterworks
Watershed
Waterfall
water-based paint
Waterbird
Waterless
Waterproof
Water-resistant
Watery-eyed
251. Way
Wayward
Waylay
Wayfarer
Way of life
Way-out
Ways and means
252. Work
To work
Worker
Working
Workman
Workmanship
Workshop
Workforce
Workable
Workaday
Workaholic
Workbook
Workfellow
Working-class
Working day
Work of art
Works
Test your English vocabulary
A word family is a group of words with a common base to which different prefixes and suffixes are added. For example, members of the word family based on the headword, base, stem, or root word work include rework, worker, working, workshop, and workmanship, among others. Similar words are called paronyms.
Polyptoton is the use of more than one of these words together, such as in this quote from the movie «Fight Club»: «The things you own end up owning you.» The repetition can serve as a dramatic effect or for emphasis in writings ranging from plays and poetry to advertising and political speeches.
Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes
Don’t plan to memorize all the word families, though. An analysis of a 1963 dictionary by scholars in 1990 found 54,000 word families. With English users creating new words all the time, it’s better to know how to work with the language and its roots, prefixes, and suffixes than to attempt to memorize it all.
According to Birgit Umbreit, «[L]anguage users are able to analyze complex words and to establish synchronic relations between words both formally and semantically because they have an implicit or even explicit knowledge of word-family organization.» (Birgit Umbreit, «Does Love Come From to Love or to Love From Love? Why Lexical Motivation Has to Be Regarded as Bidirectional,» from «Cognitive Perspectives on Word Formation,» edited by Alexander Onysko and Sascha Michel)
Said in a simpler way, language learners can decode many new or unfamiliar words through understanding what different prefixes and suffixes do to a root word. The technique can also help people figure out spellings of words they hear or determine the etymology of a word. Frank E. Daulton wrote, «[M]ost linguists agree that word families should be transparent, in that learning a new item related to one already known should involve a minimum of learning burden…For instance, if a learner knows govern and is familiar with the prefix mis-, then misgovern requires little if any additional learning (Goulden et al., 1990). Derivations that don’t meet the transparency criteria are not included in a word family but given separate listings; for instance, business (busy)…» (Frank E. Daulton, «Japan’s Built-in Lexicon of English-Based Loanwords»)
Breaking Words Into Parts
The roots or stems don’t have to be words on their own to make other words. For example, the root struct forms the base of more than 30 English words; it comes from a Latin word for to build and creates words such as: construction, structure, and constructive. Knowing that con- as a prefix means «with» or «together,» you can see how the words construction and constructive involve the creation of something. Knowing that the prefix de— means the opposite—to reduce or remove—and that the suffix —ion indicates that a word is a noun, you can understand how the word destruction is created—or even the verb to deconstruct.
Following the same pattern, look at contract and detract; a contract is something that joins parties in agreement, while to detract means to draw away from.
Source
- Norbert Schmitt, Vocabulary in Language Teaching. Cambridge University Press.
KS3 grammar: word families
- Introduction
- Teaching about word families
- Form-based families
- derivational morphology
- identity
- compound words
- Meaning-based families
- synonyms
- specific meaning relations
- fields
- Self-assessment
Introduction
Word families are groups of words that are sufficiently closely related to each other to form a ‘family’.
Words can be grouped into families in two main ways:
- they are similar in form;
- their meanings are related.
Here are two examples of form-based word families:
word – wordy – word (verb) – wording – word-list … (but not: worth, worry)
family – familiar – unfamiliar – familiarity – familiarise … (but not: famine, famous)
Each of these families is bonded by a common root word, although the resultant connections of meaning are also an important bonding feature.
Here are two examples of meaning-based word families:
big – little – size
dog – puppy – kennel
Why are word families important?
Form-based families are important because they reveal sometimes hidden patterns of spelling in words that children already know; for example, the verb root pronounced ‘seev’ is spelt ceive (receive, deceive, conceive), and always corresponds to ception in the corresponding noun (reception, deception, conception).
Meaning-based families are important because they reveal links and patterns of meaning in words that children already know; for example, many adjectives and nouns are related as in the trio big – little – size. The specific meaning relations they contain (see below) are also an important component of reasoning skills.
An understanding of word families also allows either the form or the meaning of unfamiliar words to be guessed with some confidence. For example, we can guess that someone using a skate-board is a skate-boarder engaged in skate-boarding, and if we see the word unteachability we can guess from knowledge of other word families that it means ‘state (-ity) of not (un-) being able to be (-abil-) taught (teach)’.
A sound understanding of word classes is important for the study of both kinds of word families.
Form-based families
In the form-based word family teach – teacher, similarity of form is most easily explained by recognising two morphemes in teacher:
- a root word which is also found in teach;
- and a derivational suffix which is also found in other words such as lecturer, driver, and learner.
The family link can be shown through definitions: one word provides material out of which the other’s definition is built (a teacher is a ‘a person who teaches‘). Similarly, a duckling is ‘a small duck‘; replaying is ‘playing again’, and so on.
Morphemes are important for spelling because they tend to have the same spelling across all the words containing them, so once we know how to spell a morpheme in one word we can usually predict its spelling in another word.
Although a similarity of form is often linked with a similarity of meaning, a link of form can exist without any link of meaning. For example, understand clearly consists of under + stand (notice that even the past tense is the same as for stand: understood) but it is hard to find any kind of ‘standing’ in its meaning.
Moreover, even when form and meaning appear to be in step, this appearance may be deceptive. The traps are well known – a solicitor does not solicit, nor does an undertaker ‘undertake’; being uneasy is not the same as being difficult; fusing the lights has no meaning in common with defusing a situation or refusing an offer. Moreover, a derivational suffix does not necessarily guarantee that the morpheme to which it is attached is itself a word in its own right. For example, whereas actor contains the verb act, there is no such verb for author, tailor and doctor.
Similarities of form are of three types, all of which are very common in English:
- derivational morphology
- identity
- compound words
Derivational morphology
The examples of form-based families given have involved derivational morphology, which in most cases involves the addition of prefixes or suffixes. (The exceptions are a handful of words that differ only in stress – e.g. the noun and verb both spelt convict – or in the pronunciation of the last consonant – e.g. the noun and verb both spelt house.) Click here for more information on derivational morphology.
Prefixes
Most prefixes are found in words derived from Latin. This is especially true of words which cause spelling problems at KS3.
In the NLS Framework KS3 spelling lists of 610 ‘difficult words’ from all school subjects, the most frequent prefixes are con- (and its variants com-, col- and cor-, depending on the next letter), dis-, ex- (and its variants ef- and e-), in- (and its variants im-, il- and ir-), per-, pre-, pro-, and re-. These prefixes occur in at least ten words in the KS3 lists. Table 1 shows the words in which they occur.
Suffixes
Suffixes are generally tied to a particular word class: for example, words ending in -tion are almost always nouns. However a word formed with one suffix may itself provide the root word to which another suffix is added; e.g. the noun addition may be combined with the suffix -al to form the adjective additional, which may in turn be combined with the suffix -ly to form the adverb additionally. It is the last suffix that indicates the word’s class.
The suffixes that occur in more than ten of the KS3 spelling-list words are shown in Table 2. Click here for more information on common suffixes.
Identity
A much simpler kind of similarity of form is identity, where the words have identical forms. For example, we have large numbers of verb-noun pairs that share the same root word, as in:
When I run (verb), the run (noun) usually lasts about half an hour.
A rest (noun) will do you good; rest (verb) there.
The derivation may go in either direction: a noun may be derived from a verb, or a verb may be derived from a noun, as in the verb nail (which means ‘fix with nails’); either way, they belong to the same word family.
This is a useful facility in English which KS3 pupils should be aware of, especially since it raises no extra spelling problems. However, this flexibility also has a drawback: the difficulty of classifying words due to their multiple word-class membership, which is so characteristic of English words and which can lead to word families whose members all look alike. An extreme case is the family containing the noun, adjective, verb and adverb which all share the form right and have quite closely related meanings:
I insist on the right of reply.
She held it in her right hand.
Right the boat, please!
She went right to the end of the road.
Compound words
A more complicated kind of similarity is found in compound words. In this case the derived word is formed by combining two root words, as in password.
In terms of word families, compounds represent a marriage of two families, so password unites the families of pass (passage, passer-by, etc.) and word (wording, reword, wordy, etc.). In such ‘transparent’ compounds each component element is obvious, as are the benefits for spelling of recognising these links. (Think of words such as the KS3 words copyright and playwright, not to mention copywriter.)
The only problem that such words raise for KS3 writers is one that faces any writer: where to put word-spaces. Do you write one word without a hyphen, one word with a hyphen, or two separate words? For example, we write database but data bank (or data-bank); bookshop but book token and sweetshop, sweet-shop or sweet shop. There is more on this problem in the unit on word-level punctuation.
Once again the main problems for spelling come from compounds built out of Latin or Greek material, which are generally more or less ‘opaque’ because one or both of the parts are not words in their own right. A typical example is the word agriculture: one element is a familiar word (culture) with its usual spelling, while the other element – a separate word in Latin (agri, ‘fields’) – is not used independently in English and is hardly found in other English words (except agribusiness and perhaps agrarian).
Even more challenging are words like isosceles which consist of two classical elements (in this case Greek), neither of which is an English word in its own right. Here the element iso-, ‘equal’, may be worth identifying because it recurs in words that may be used at KS3 (e.g. isobar, isochronous, isotope); but the only reason for focusing on sceles (‘legs’) is to explain its peculiar spelling.
Table 3 shows all the compounds in the KS3 spelling lists.
Meaning-based families
Some words are closely related in meaning but not in form. For example, a female lion is a lioness, but a female dog is a bitch, while a male sheep is a ram and a female sheep is a ewe. The word families dog – bitch and sheep – ram – ewe are based solely on meaning, without the additional help provided by similarity of form as in lion – lioness.
Links that are based on meaning are far richer and more extensive than those based on form. Even the most straightforward-looking word, such as book, has a multitude of meaning-based links to other words:
page, volume, journal, publication, author, publisher, title, edition, paper, cover, index, chapter, contents, novel, textbook, literature, literacy, bookseller, bookshop, bookshelf, library, read, write, consult, collect, bookworm (both meanings), bibliophile, …
As can be seen from this list, similarity of form supports a few of these links, namely those in which the related word also contains the root word book: textbook, bookseller, bookshop, bookshelf, bookworm. The remaining links are no less clear or accessible for having no counterpart in form.
Meaning-based links are important for vocabulary growth, not just as an aid when guessing the meanings of new words, but also when consolidating existing vocabulary.
How to investigate meaning-based families
Such complex territory needs some kind of map, so it is helpful to distinguish three approaches to investigative study according to which kind of link is in focus:
- synonyms
- specific meaning relations
- fields
In each case, we can assume that one word is the ‘anchor’: the word whose links are being explored; the anchor prevents us from floating off and getting lost in a sea of vocabulary.
Synonyms
This approach is the basis for any thesaurus. The anchor word is grouped with its ‘synonyms’ (taking synonyms in the loose sense in which wet and damp are synonyms, even though their meanings are not identical). One step is to bring the synonyms together; but an equally important step is then to look for differences (e.g. damp involves less liquid than wet). Both steps can be taken unaided, by brainstorming; however, a thesaurus is helpful for the first step and a dictionary for the second.
Specific meaning relations
In derivational morphology, the suffix -er signals the do-er of an action, as in speaker, ‘a person who speaks’; but the same meaning relation can also be expressed in other ways – for example, the word for ‘a person who steals’ is not stealer, but thief. In this case the anchor word is steal, and thief can be called the ‘target’ word. A study of specific meaning relations goes beyond those reflected in the form of the words concerned, and explores the range of ways in which such specific meaning relations are expressed. Table 4 gives some other examples.
Specific meaning relations are helpful in developing reasoning skills, since they include such features as:
classification: man – cow – monkey – mammal examples: flower – violet – daffodil – rose
continuum: obese – fat – plump – slim – thin – emaciated
opposites: hard – easy; sensible – foolish
Fields
A field of meaning includes both synonyms and meaning relations, but also includes words which are related in other ways to the anchor word, as consult is to book. The list of words related to book is an example of a field; here it is again:
page, volume, journal, publication, author, publisher, title, edition, paper, cover, index, chapter, contents, novel, textbook, literature, literacy, bookseller, bookshop, bookshelf, library, read, write, consult, collect, bookworm (both meanings), bibliophile, …
As you can see, very few of these words could be described even loosely as synonyms of book – perhaps only journal, novel and textbook – and none are related to book in a way that could have been expressed by derivational morphology.
Self-assessment
[2016 note: Unfortunately none of the original links work any more, so you can’t check your decision about an individual word; but you can check your answers against the list of answers.]
Morphology: In the following passage by a KS3 pupil, find all the words which contain more than one morpheme.
Bob was readjusting to civilisation and was even now still coming to terms with technology. He was still remarkably intelligent despite his apparent ignorance of culture, and his senses had grown incredibly sharp.
Meaning: In the same passage, repeated below, find all the words which are related in meaning to civilization.
Bob was readjusting to civilisation and was even now still coming to terms with technology. He was still remarkably intelligent despite his apparent ignorance of culture, and his senses had grown incredibly sharp.
10000+ results for ‘base word family’
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The frequency number is how often the word appears out of 250,000 words. For example if you divide 250,000 by 9243, then we can see that the word «the» appears once in every 27 words. However, this number should only be used as a general guide. The numbers can change depending on the topic, demographic, and many other variables. Although the number cannot be accurate, it can be used to provide insight into the frequency of words in relation to other words.
The Type column refers to what type of word it is. In many cases, a word can be multiple types. The first one listed is more frequently used than the second. For example, the word «can» is used as an auxiliary verb such as, «I can ride a bike.» Also, it is a noun such as can of food. In this particular case, «can» is used commonly in both ways, but it is more frequently used as an auxiliary verb. In some cases, the third or fourth type might not be used regularly.
There can be typos or errors. If you find anything that is incorrect, please email talkenglish@talkenglish.com. We will do our best to correct everything.
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A word family is the base form of a word plus its inflected forms and derived forms made with suffixes and prefixes[1] plus its cognates, i.e. all words that have a common etymological origin, some of which even native speakers don’t recognize as being related (e.g. «wrought (iron)» and «work(ed)»).[2] In the English language, inflectional affixes include third person —s, verbal -ed and -ing, plural —s, possessive —s, comparative —er and superlative —est. Derivational affixes include —able, -er, -ish, -less, -ly, -ness, -th, -y, non-, un-, -al, -ation, -ess, -ful, -ism, -ist, -ity, -ize/-ise, -ment, in-.[1] The idea is that a base word and its inflected forms support the same core meaning, and can be considered learned words if a learner knows both the base word and the affix.
Bauer and Nation proposed seven levels of affixes based on their frequency in English.[3] It has been shown that word families can assist with deriving related words via affixes, along with decreasing the time needed to derive and recognize such words.[4]
Effects on learningEdit
There are several studies that suggest that knowledge of root words and their derivatives can assist with learning or even deducing the meaning of other members of a word family. A study from Carlisle and Katz (2006) comparing separate English word families varying in size, frequency, and affirmation and negation suggests that “accuracy of reading derived words by 4th and 6th graders is related to measures of familiarity, … base word frequencies, family size, average family frequency, and word length”.[5] It was found that families that were either larger or more frequent (i.e. word families that had more words or were more common) were more quickly read.[5] Nagy et al. (1989) found that morphologically related families had an increase of reaction time of up to 7 ms compared to those without a morphological relation.[4] Nagy et al. (1993) summarizes how knowledge of the meanings of common English suffixes underwent significant development between fourth grade and high school.[6]
Studies on non-native speakersEdit
There have also been studies on non-native English speakers and learners on their knowledge and understanding of word families. A study of nonnative-English-speaking college students showed that non-native English speakers knew at least some of the four word forms studied (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs).[7] Out of these four, word families derived from nouns and verbs were found to be the most well-known.[7] Results showed that in regards to these word forms, ESL students knew the least, MA-ELT (English Language Teaching) students knew more, and native speakers knew the most.[7] In addition, a study of Japanese students learning English showed poor knowledge of the affixes studied, showing a division between their knowledge of a word’s meaning and a derivative form of a separate word (e.g. stimulate versus similar, disclose and far).[8] To conclude their study, Schmitt and Zimmerman have provided the following for those teaching word families as a guideline:[7]
- Introduce derivatives along with their roots.
- Teach more affixes.
- Emphasize adverbs, adjectives, and their derivatives.
- Suggest reading that includes these word families.
See alsoEdit
- Headword (lemma)
- Lexeme
ReferencesEdit
- ^ a b Hirsh, D.; Nation, I.S.P. (1992). «What vocabulary size is needed to read unsimplified texts for pleasure?» (PDF). Reading in a Foreign Language. 8 (2): 689–696.
- ^ «Word family Definition & Meaning — Merriam-Webster».
- ^ Bauer, L.; Nation, I.S.P. (1993). «Word families». International Journal of Lexicography. 6 (4): 253–279. doi:10.1093/ijl/6.4.253.
- ^ a b Nagy, William; Anderson, Richard C.; Schommer, Marlene; Scott, Judith Ann; Stallman, Anne C. (1989). «Morphological Families in the Internal Lexicon». Reading Research Quarterly. 24 (3): 262–282. doi:10.2307/747770. hdl:2142/17726. ISSN 0034-0553. JSTOR 747770.
- ^ a b Carlisle, Joanne F.; Katz, Lauren A. (October 2006). «Effects of word and morpheme familiarity on reading of derived words». Reading and Writing. 19 (7): 669–693. doi:10.1007/s11145-005-5766-2. ISSN 0922-4777. S2CID 145561186.
- ^ Nagy, William E.; Diakidoy, Irene-Anna N.; Anderson, Richard C. (June 1993). «The Acquisition of Morphology: Learning the Contribution of Suffixes to the Meanings of Derivatives». Journal of Reading Behavior. 25 (2): 155–170. doi:10.1080/10862969309547808. ISSN 0022-4111.
- ^ a b c d Schmitt, Norbert; Zimmerman, Cheryl Boyd (2002). «Derivative Word Forms: What Do Learners Know?». TESOL Quarterly. 36 (2): 145. doi:10.2307/3588328. JSTOR 3588328.
- ^ Schmitt, Norbert; Meara, Paul (March 1997). «Researching Vocabulary Through a Word Knowledge Framework». Studies in Second Language Acquisition. 19 (1): 17–36. doi:10.1017/S0272263197001022. ISSN 0272-2631.
Introduction
Are you struggling to help your child understand how to read? There are many things that you can do to help encourage literacy, one of which includes teaching your child word families.
Word families are the grouping of common letters into similar word lists. In short, if your child understands the word family, they’ll be able to understand a list of words with the word family in common.
This guide will not only explain the various word families in the English language but also give you tips and tricks on how to increase reading comprehension.
A word family is a group of letters that are combined to make a specific sound. For example, -ack, -am-, and -at are all word families.
The purpose of understanding a word family is the notion that if you can identify one word, you should be able to identify many others with the common word family. So, if your child can sound out “back,” then they should easily be able to sound out “smack, tack, and rack” as well.
This is also the foundation of understanding how words work together to create a rhyme. Since these words all sound the same, you can combine them to make them have the same flow and rhyme scheme.
Word families increase with difficulty as children age. The first world families that are taught are generally simple, like “at” (for “cat, bat, and sat”). As children age, they will be asked to identify more complex word families like “ain” (or “rain, refrain, and stain”).
Word families and sight words work together to help children learn how to read. All of these words are high-frequency words, which means that children will see them often. When children can identify them quickly and easily, they can become more persuasive writers.
Examples
According to Wylie and Durrell, there are 37 common word families in the English language. In actuality, there are many more than 37, but these are the highest frequency words.
Many popular nursery rhymes include these 37 word families. They are simple because each letter is pronounced the way it should be. The only time that words are not pronounced as they are spelled is in the event of two vowels being next to each other. When you encounter one of these two-vowel words (like rain), the rule is to pronounce the first vowel only.
Below is a list of examples for each of the 37 most popular word families.
| ack | ain | ake | ale | all | ame |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| attack | brain | awake | ale | all | blame |
| back | chain | bake | bale | ball | came |
| black | explain | brake | dale | call | fame |
| crack | gain | cake | gale | fall | flame |
| hack | grain | fake | kale | gall | frame |
| knack | main | flake | male | hall | game |
| lack | pain | Jake | pale | install | lame |
| pack | plain | lake | sale | mall | name |
| quack | rain | make | scale | small | same |
| rack | slain | quake | stale | squall | shame |
| snack | sprain | rake | tale | stall | tame |
| stack | stain | sake | whale | tall | |
| tack | strain | shake | thrall | ||
| whack | train | snake | wall | ||
| vain | stake | ||||
| take | |||||
| wake |
| an | ank | ap | ash | at | ate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| an | bank | cap | ash | at | abate |
| ban | blank | clap | bash | bat | ate |
| bran | crank | flap | brash | brat | crate |
| can | dank | gap | cash | cat | date |
| clan | drank | lap | clash | chat | debate |
| Dan | flank | map | crash | fat | fate |
| fan | frank | nap | dash | flat | gate |
| flan | Hank | rap | flash | gnat | grate |
| Fran | plank | sap | gash | hat | hate |
| Jan | prank | scrap | gnash | mat | Kate |
| Japan | rank | slap | hash | pat | late |
| man | sank | snap | lash | rat | mate |
| pan | shrank | strap | mash | sat | plate |
| pecan | spank | tap | rash | slat | rate |
| plan | tank | trap | sash | spat | relate |
| ran | thank | wrap | slash | tat | sate |
| scan | yank | yap | smash | that | skate |
| span | zap | splash | vat | state | |
| Stan | stash | ||||
| tan | thrash | ||||
| than | trash | ||||
| van |
| aw | ay | eat | ell | est | ice |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| caw | away | beat | bell | best | dice |
| claw | bay | cheat | cell | chest | ice |
| draw | bray | cleat | dell | crest | mice |
| flaw | clay | eat | dwell | jest | nice |
| gnaw | day | feat | farewell | nest | price |
| jaw | decay | greet | fell | pest | rice |
| law | delay | heat | hell | quest | slice |
| paw | display | meat | sell | rest | spice |
| raw | flay | neat | shell | test | splice |
| saw | gay | peat | smell | unrest | thrice |
| slaw | gray | pleat | spell | vest | twice |
| straw | hay | seat | swell | west | vice |
| thaw | jay | treat | tell | zest | |
| lay | wheat | well | |||
| may | yell | ||||
| nay | |||||
| okay | |||||
| pay | |||||
| play | |||||
| pray | |||||
| quay | |||||
| ray | |||||
| relay | |||||
| replay | |||||
| say | |||||
| slay | |||||
| spray | |||||
| stay | |||||
| stray | |||||
| sway | |||||
| they | |||||
| today | |||||
| tray | |||||
| way |
| ick | ide | ight | ill | in | ine |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| brick | bride | bright | bill | bin | brine |
| chick | decide | delight | chill | chin | decline |
| click | glide | fight | dill | din | define |
| flick | hide | flight | drill | fin | dine |
| kick | pride | fright | fill | gin | fine |
| lick | ride | height | frill | grin | line |
| nick | side | knight | gill | in | mine |
| pick | slide | light | grill | kin | nine |
| quick | stride | might | hill | pin | pine |
| Rick | tide | night | ill | shin | shine |
| sick | wide | plight | Jill | skin | shrine |
| slick | right | kill | sin | sine | |
| stick | sight | krill | spin | spine | |
| thick | slight | mill | thin | swine | |
| tick | tight | pill | tin | tine | |
| trick | tonight | quill | twin | twine | |
| wick | shrill | win | vine | ||
| sill | within | whine | |||
| skill | wine | ||||
| spill | |||||
| still | |||||
| swill | |||||
| thrill | |||||
| thrill | |||||
| till | |||||
| trill | |||||
| will |
| ing | ink | ip | it | ock | op |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bring | blink | blip | admit | block | coop |
| cling | brink | chip | bit | clock | droop |
| fling | drink | dip | fit | cock | hoop |
| king | fink | drip | flit | crock | loop |
| ping | ink | flip | grit | dock | scoop |
| ring | link | grip | hit | flock | snoop |
| sing | mink | hip | it | frock | stoop |
| sling | pink | lip | kit | hock | troop |
| spring | rink | nip | knit | jock | |
| sting | shrink | quip | lit | knock | |
| string | sink | rip | mit | lock | |
| swing | stink | ship | pit | mock | |
| thing | think | sip | quit | o’clock | |
| wing | wink | skip | sit | rock | |
| wring | slip | skit | shock | ||
| zing | snip | slit | smock | ||
| strip | snit | sock | |||
| tip | spit | stock | |||
| trip | split | ||||
| whip | twit | ||||
| zip | wit |
| ore | ot | uck | ug | ump | unk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| bore | apricot | buck | bug | bump | bunk |
| chore | blot | chuck | dug | clump | chunk |
| core | bot | cluck | hug | dump | drunk |
| fore | clot | duck | jug | grump | dunk |
| gore | cot | luck | lug | hump | flunk |
| lore | dot | muck | mug | jump | funk |
| more | forgot | puck | plug | lump | hunk |
| ore | got | pluck | pug | plump | junk |
| pore | hot | stuck | rug | pump | lunk |
| score | jot | struck | shrug | rump | plunk |
| shore | knot | truck | smug | slump | punk |
| sore | lot | tuck | snug | stump | skunk |
| spore | not | yuck | thug | thump | slunk |
| store | plot | tug | trump | spunk | |
| swore | pot | sunk | |||
| tore | rot | trunk | |||
| wore | shot | ||||
| yore | slot | ||||
| spot | |||||
| tot | |||||
| trot |
Tips and Tricks for Teaching Reading
When beginning to teach your child to read, you will want to blend information from word families and sight words to help your child start identifying words.
To do this, pick a list of words that matches their age-level and start practicing those words only. When your child can identify these words in a text, it means that they are beginning to see the patterns and identify those high-frequency words in writing.
When you begin teaching word families, start with one of the easier ones first, like am. Once they can identify am, sound it out, and find words that end in am, move to a more complicated word.
Once your child understands how to form these word families into actual words, they will be able to spell and read them!
If your child struggles with some of the foundational skills associated with reading, consider adding a workbook to their daily practice. ArgoPrep has worked with educators to deliver high-quality practice that will entertain, educate, and excite your child. These workbooks are especially helpful for students who might need a little extra attention to reading comprehension, English language skills, and more.
Conclusion
My daughter loves to build things with Magnatiles. She will grab all of the tiles and construct fantastic castles, homes, and more with the simple building tools. But what happens when she builds a weak base? We all know. It can’t stand, it’s not steady, and it falls.
Learning how to read can kind of be similar to building a weak structure. Identifying something as simple as a word family seems like a mindless activity for us. Still, for kids, it’s necessary to understand the increasingly tricky skills that kids learn for reading comprehension.
Taking the time to learn word families will help them identify words more quickly and spell with more accuracy. This list of 37 high-frequency word families is a great place to start, but once your child masters it, consider researching more challenging word families to increase comprehension!
Word families are groups of words that go together. They have similar or common features or patterns. They can occur in the prefix, the suffix, or in the root word itself. They are sometimes referred to as groups or chunks. Word families all have the same combinations of letters somewhere in the word. They frequently appear in poems and rhymes (especially nursery rhymes). For example:
“Jack and Jill
Went up the hill,
To fetch a pail of water.
Jack fell down,
And broke his crown.
And Jill came tumbling after.”
Word families can be an important tool when teaching people to read or speak a language. New readers are able to recognize the word patterns, and teachers help them to understand the combinations and sounds.
The National Council of Teachers of English has identified 37 different word families. They are listed below with examples of words that are included in the family.
| Ack | Ain | Ake | Ale |
| Attack | Brain | Awake | Ale |
| Back | Chain | Bake | Bale |
| Knack | Complain | Cake | Dale |
| Lack | Explain | Lake | Female |
| Quack | Gain | Make | Gale |
| Rack | Pain | Quake | Male |
| Sack | Plain | Rake | Pale |
| Snack | Strain | Sake | Sale |
| Tack | Train | Snake | Tale |
| Whack | Vain | Take | Whale |
| All | Ame | An | Ank |
| Ball | Blame | Ban | Bank |
| Call | Came | Bran | Blank |
| Fall | Dame | Can | Crank |
| Hall | Fame | Fan | Drank |
| Mall | Game | Japan | Flank |
| Small | Lame | Pan | Rank |
| Squall | Name | Pecan | Shrank |
| Stall | Same | Scan | Spank |
| Tall | Shame | Tan | Tank |
| Wall | Tame | Van | Thank |
| Ap | Ash | At | Ate |
| Cap | Cash | At | Abate |
| Clap | Clash | Brat | Ate |
| Flap | Crash | Cat | Debate |
| Lap | Dash | Chat | Fat |
| Map | Hash | Fat | Grate |
| Scrap | Lash | Mat | Late |
| Slap | Mash | Rat | Mate |
| Tap | Rash | Slat | Plate |
| Trop | Splash | That | Skate |
| Wrap | Stash | Vat | State |
| Aw | Ay | Eat | Ell |
| Claw | Away | Beat | Bell |
| Draw | Clay | Bleat | Cell |
| Flaw | Day | Cheat | Dell |
| Jaw | Display | Cleat | Dwell |
| Law | Gay | Heat | Farewell |
| Paw | Pray | Meat | Fell |
| Raw | Ray | Neat | Hell |
| Saw | Stay | Seat | Sell |
| Straw | Today | Treat | Tell |
| Thaw | Tray | Wheat | Yell |
| Est | Ice | Ine | Ide |
| Best | Dice | Brine | Bride |
| Chest | Ice | Decline | Decide |
| Crest | Lice | Define | Guide |
| Jest | Mice | Dine | Hide |
| Nest | Price | Fine | Ride |
| Pest | Rice | Mine | Side |
| Rest | Spice | Pine | Slide |
| Test | Splice | Shrine | Stride |
| Unrest | Twice | Whine | Tide |
| West | Vice | Wine | Wide |
| Ick | In | Ight | Ill (ill) |
| Brick | Bin | Bright | Bill |
| Flick | Chin | Delight | Chill |
| Kick | Grin | Fight | Dill |
| Lick | In | Flight | Fill |
| Nick | Kin | Light | Kill |
| Pick | Shin | Might | Shrill |
| Sick | Skin | Night | Still |
| Stick | Twin | Sight | Swill |
| Thick | Win | Tight | Thrill |
| Trick | Within | Tonight | Will |
| Wick |
| Ing | Ink | Ip | It |
| Bring | Blink | Dip | Admit |
| King | Drink | Grip | Bit |
| Ping | Fink | Hip | Fit |
| Ring | Link | Lip | Flit |
| Sing | Mink | Ship | Grit |
| Spring | Pink | Sip | Knit |
| Sting | Rink | Snip | Lit |
| String | Sink | Strip | Pit |
| Thing | Stink | Trip | Quit |
| Wing | Wink | Whip | Split |
| Ock | Oke | Op | Ore |
| Block | Awoke | Cop | Chore |
| Clock | Bloke | Drop | Core |
| Dock | Choke | Flop | Fore |
| Frock | Joke | Hop | Gore |
| Lock | Poke | Mop | More |
| Mock | Smoke | Plop | Ore |
| Rock | Spoke | Pop | Sore |
| Shock | Stroke | Shop | Store |
| Sock | Woke | Strop | Tore |
| Stock | Yoke | Top | Wore |
| Ot | Uck | Ug | Ump | Unk |
| Clot | Buck | Bug | Bump | Bunk |
| Cot | Chuck | Dug | Clump | Clunk |
| Dot | Duck | Hug | Hump | Dunk |
| Forgot | Luck | Jug | Jump | Funk |
| Hot | Muck | Lug | Lump | Hunk |
| Lot | Pluck | Mug | Plump | Junk |
| Not | Struck | Rug | Rump | Punk |
| Plot | Stuck | Shrug | Stump | Skunk |
| Pot | Truck | Smug | Thump | Sunk |
| Spot | Tuck | Thug | Trump | Trunk |
Other Word Families
There are many other word families beyond the most common 37. Below are some others that occur on a regular basis.
| Ad | Ail | Am | Ar |
| Ad | Ail | Clam | Afar |
| Bad | Fail | Dam | Bar |
| Cad | Hail | Exam | Car |
| Clad | Jail | Gram | Far |
| Dad | Jam | Par | |
| Glad | Pail | Ram | Pillar |
| Had | Rail | Slam | Scar |
| Lad | Sail | Spam | Spar |
| Mad | Snail | Tram | Star |
| Sad | Tail | Wham | Tar |
| Eet | En | Ent | Eel |
| Feet | Amen | Bent | Cartwheel |
| Fleet | Children | Dent | Eel |
| Greet | Den | Event | Feel |
| Meet | Even | Gent | Genteel |
| Parakeet | Hen | Innocent | Heel |
| Sheet | Men | Lent | Keel |
| Street | Omen | Scent | Peel |
| Sweet | Pen | Sent | Reel |
| Tweet | Ten | Tent | Steel |
| When | Went | Wheel |
| Eep | Ile | Oat | Og |
| Asleep | Bile | Boat | Blog |
| Beep | File | Coat | Catalog |
| Creep | Juvenile | Float | Clog |
| Deep | Mile | Gloat | Defog |
| Jeep | Pile | Goat | Dog |
| Seep | Smile | Moat | Frog |
| Sheep | Tile | Oat | Hog |
| Sleep | Vile | Sloat | Hotdog |
| Steep | Volatile | Sugarcoat | Jog |
| Weep | While | Throat | Smog |
| Oil | Ool | Oom | Oon |
| Boil | Cool | Bathroom | Baboon |
| Broil | Drool | Bloom | Balloon |
| Charbroil | Fool | Boom | Goon |
| Coil | Pool | Classroom | Maroon |
| Foil | School | Doom | Moon |
| Oil | Spool | Groom | Noon |
| Recoil | Stool | Loom | Soon |
| Soil | Tool | Room | Spoon |
| Spoil | Uncool | Storeroom | Toon |
| Toil | Wool | Zoom | Tycoon |
| Topsoil |
| Oop | Ow | Ought |
| Coop | Blow | Afterthought |
| Droop | Bow | Bought |
| Goop | Crow | Brought |
| Hoop | Flow | Forethought |
| Loop | Grow | Fought |
| Scoop | Mow | Ought |
| Snoop | Row | Overthought |
| Stoop | Show | Overwrought |
| Swoop | Snow | Thought |
| Troop | Tow | Wrought |
Placement in Words
There are many other word families, and they can occur anywhere in a word. Some examples are:
| A meaning “on” |
Act meaning “do” |
Dis meaning “un” |
| Adrift, | Actor | Disagree |
| Aside | Action | Dishonest |
| Ashore | Activate | Disavow |
| Ject meaning “to throw” |
Gen meaning “to produce” |
Poly meaning “many” |
| Eject | General | Polygamy |
| Interject | Generate | Monopoly |
| Subject | Pathogen | Polyester |
Risk of Focusing on Word Families
There is one pitfall that new readers can encounter when learning word families. Because they focus so much attention on the second part of the word, they can skip over the first part. They then have to go back to the start of the word.
This results in jerky eye movement. Instead of a steady progression across the page from left to right, the reader jumps around. This could actually reinforce dyslexic tendencies.
Conclusion:
Word families help students to learn to read and pronounce English. Because they learn to recognize the “chunks” of words that are in each family, they can make connections to other words. This helps new readers correctly predict how other words will sound.
New readers are able to take single-syllable words and break them down. There will often be a consonant at the start of the word and a word family group at the end. By breaking down even short words, the new reader is able to improve their spelling, understand new words (by comparing them to old), and improve their reading fluency.
By using the 37 common word families, new readers will be able to learn an estimated 500 words. If other word families are included, the number of new words can grow dramatically.
List of Word Families | Image
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Last Updated on May 20, 2021