Fry’s Sight Words List in Alphabetical Order

Edward Fry and Jacqueline Kress created a sight word list and presented them in frequency of order. They referred to these words as instant words; they should be recognized instantly.

Fry’s Sight Words List – First Hundred

This table contains 100 sight words which represent approximately 50% of all print.

a	down	is	other	to
about	each	it	out	two
all	find	its	part	up
am	first	like	people	use
an	for	long	said	was
and	from	look	see	water
are	get	made	she	way
as	go	make	so	we
at	had	many	some	were
be	has	may	than	what
been	have	more	that	when
but	he	my	the	which
by	her	no	their	who
call	him	not	them	will
can	his	now	then	with
come	how	number	there	word
could	I	of	these	would
day	if	on	they	write
did	in	one	this	you
do	into	or	time	your

Fry’s Sight Words List – Second Hundred

This table presents the second hundred words. Fry’s 300 sight words represent approximately 65% of all printed material.

after	does	letter	over	such
again	end	line	page	take
air	even	little	picture	tell
also	farm	live	place	thing
America	follow	man	play	think
animal	found	me	point	three
another	give	mean	put	through
answer	good	men	read	too
any	great	most	right	try
around	hand	mother	same	turn
ask	help	move	say	us
away	here	much	sentence	very
back	home	must	set	want
because	house	name	should	well
before	just	need	show	went
big	kind	new	small	where
boy	know	off	sound	why
came	land	old	spell	work
change	large	only	still	world
different	learn	our	study	year

Fry’s Sight Words List – Third Hundred

This table presents the third hundred words. Fry’s 300 sight words represent approximately 65% of all printed material.

above	earth	hear	never	song
add	eat	high	next	soon
almost	enough	idea	night	start
along	every	important	often	state
always	example	Indian	once	stop
began	eye	it’s	open	story
begin	facet	keep	own	talk
being	family	last	paper	those
below	far	later	plant	thought
between	father	leave	really	together
book	feet	left	river	took
both	few	let	run	tree
car	food	life	saw	under
carry	four	light	school	until
children	girl	list	sea	walk
city	got	might	second	watch
close	group	mile	seem	while
country	grow	miss	side	white
cut	hard	mountain	something	without
don’t	head	near	sometimes	young

It is recommended to teach sight words that your child will encounter repeatedly. Fry organized his list based on frequency so Fry’s sight words are a great starting point when teaching a child sight words.

Source: Fry, E.B., Ph.D. & Kress, J.E., Ed.D. (2006). The Reading Teacher’s Book of Lists 5th Edition. Sanfransico, CA: Jossey Bass.