Dolch List of 220 Sight Words - By Level of Difficulty

Edward William Dolch, Ph.D. further analyzed his list of 220 sight words; he categorized them into two groups: easy and hard. Using a Wisconsin study that tested 6,000 students in both first and second grade, he categorized the sight words according to level of difficulty. Dolch provided this information to assist teachers in determining which sight words should be taught first and which ones require emphasis.

Sight Words: Easier

a	come	I	one	them
after	did	if	or	then
all	do	in	out	they
an	down	into	play	this
and	eat	is	pretty	three
are	fly	it	red	to
around	for	its	ride	today
as	four	jump	round	too
ask	from	just	run	two
at	funny	like	said	under
away	get	little	saw	up
be	go	long	see	walk
before	going	look	she	was
big	good	make	six	we
black	green	me	sleep	when
blue	had	my	so	white
brown	he	myself	some	who
but	help	no	soon	will
by	her	not	stop	yellow
call	here	of	ten	yes
can	him	old	that	you
cold	his	on	the	your

Sight Words: Harder

about	drink	keep	pick	those
again	eight	kind	please	together
always	every	know	pull	try
am	fall	laugh	put	upon
any	far	let	ran	us
ate	fast	light	read	use
because	find	live	right	very
been	first	made	say	want
best	five	many	seven	warm
better	found	may	shall	wash
both	full	much	show	well
bring	gave	must	sing	went
buy	give	new	sit	were
came	goes	never	small	what
carry	got	now	start	where
clean	grow	off	take	which
could	has	once	tell	why
cut	have	only	thank	wish
does	hold	open	their	with
done	hot	our	there	would
don’t	how	over	these	write
draw	hurt	own	think	work

Source: Edward William Dolch, Ph.D., Problems in Reading.
College of Education, University of Illinois, 1948.