Dolch Sight Words – in Alphabetical Order

Edward William Dolch, Ph.D. created a basic sight vocabulary list, containing 220 words. He referred to these words as “tool” or “service” words because these words are typically found in all reading material; they comprise over 50% of English text. Dolch stated, every child should learn to instantly recognizing these words by sight.

Dolch’s Sight Words List

The table below contains 220 common words, also referred to as sight words.

a	done	I	out	these
about	don’t	if	over	they
after	down	in	own	think
again	draw	into	pick	this
all	drink	is	play	those
always	eat	it	please	three
am	eight	its	pretty	to
an	every	jump	pull	today
and	fall	just	put	together
any	far	keep	ran	too
are	fast	kind	read	try
around	find	know	red	two
as	first	laugh	ride	under
ask	five	let	right	up
at	fly	light	round	upon
ate	for	like	run	us
away	found	little	said	use
be	four	live	saw	very
because	from	long	say	walk
been	full	look	see	want
before	funny	made	seven	warm
best	gave	make	shall	was
better	get	many	she	wash
big	give	may	show	we
black	go	me	sing	well
blue	goes	much	sit	went
both	going	must	six	were
bring	good	my	sleep	what
brown	got	myself	small	when
but	green	never	so	where
buy	grow	new	some	which
by	had	no	soon	white
call	has	not	start	who
came	have	now	stop	why
can	he	of	take	will
carry	help	off	tell	wish
clean	her	old	ten	with
cold	here	on	thank	work
come	him	once	that	would
could	his	one	the	write
cut	hold	only	their	yellow
did	hot	open	them	yes
do	how	or	then	you
does	hurt	our	there	your

Source: Dolch, E.W., Ph.D. (1948). Problems in Reading. Champain, IL: The Garrard Press.