Have you ever noticed that some words in English sound similar to each other?
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Word families
Have you ever noticed that some words in English sound similar to each other?
That’s because they often contain the same combinations of letters, making them into a “word family.” For instance, the words “core,” “bore”, “sore” and “more” all contain “ore.” Similarly, the words “skip,” “tip”, “snip” and “flip” all contain “ip.”
There are dozens of word families in English. However, some are considerably more common than others.
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What Are The Most Common Word Families In English?
In 1970, academics Wylie and Durrell published the 37 most common word families in English. Their work later went on to become the definitive compendium of the most frequent sounds in the language.
According to their research, the most common families of words are those containing:
-ack
-ad
-ail
-ain
-ake
-ale
-all
-am
-ame
-an
-ank
-ap
-ar
-ash
-at
-ate
-aw
-ay
-eat
-eel
-eep
-eet
-ell
-en
-ent
-est
-ice
-ick
-ide
-ife
-ight
-ile
-ill
-in
-ine
-ing
-ink
-ip
-it
-oat
-ock
-og
-oil
-oke
-oo
-ood
-oof (long “o”)
-oof (short “o”)
-ook
-oom
-ool
-oon
-oop
-oot (long “o”)
-oot (short “o”)
-ore
-orn
-ot
-ought
-ould
-ouse
-out
-ow (rhymes with cow)
-ow (rhymes with low)
-own
-uck
-ug
-ump
The English language is exceptionally variegated. However, they tend to be smaller and people do not use them as often.
Examples Of Words From Each Word Family
Below we list words from each word family identified by Wylie and Durrell.
-ack
Words containing the sound -ack include:
Back
Crack
Attack
Sack
Black
Quack
Whack
Track
Zack
Lack
Frack
Slack
-ad
Words containing -ad include:
Bad
Sad
Add
Mad
Pad
Dad
Ironclad
Lad
-ail
Words containing the -ail sound include:
Sail
Fail
Rail
Mail
Snail
Derail
Entrail
Jail
Nail
-ain
Words containing -ain include:
Pain
Stain
Brain
Obtain
Grain
Train
Vain
Spain
Rain
Slain
Main
-ake
Words containing the -ake sound include:
Rake
Fake
Drake
Lake
Make
Take
Cake
Brake
Flake
Awake
-ale
Words containing the -ale sound include:
Pale
Kale
Sale
Shale
Stale
Whale
Dale
Tale
-all
Words containing the -all sound include:
Tall
Ball
Call
Freefall
Install
Squall
Tall
Thrall
Mall
Small
-am
Words containing -am include:
Gram
Exam
Pam
Slam
Scam
Dram
Yam
Tram
Wham
Bam
Dam
Ham
Jam
-ame
Words containing -ame include:
Blame
Lame
Same
Came
Fame
Name
Shame
Tame
Frame
-an
Word containing-an include:
January
Fran
Ran
Can
Flan
Japan
Pecan
Stan
Span
Scan
Van
-ank
Words with -ank in them include:
Spank
Crank
Sank
Rank
Thank
Prank
Bank
Frank
Shrank
Hank
-ap
Words containing -ap include:
Lap
Rap
Bap
Cap
Trap
Wrap
Zap
Yap
Clap
Flap
Nap
Snap
Strap
-ar
Words containing -ar include:
Bar
Car
Afar
Mar
Star
Scar
Spar
-ash
Words with -ash include:
Mash
Thrash
Dash
Cash
Flash
Bash
Trash
Splash
Stash
Gnash
-at
Words containing -at include:
Flat
Cat
Mat
Sat
Splat
Rat
Gnat
Brat
Bat
Slat
-ate
Words containing the -ate sound include:
Celebrate
Debate
Masticate
Elaborate
Enunciate
Skate
State
Late
Hate
Grate
Fate
-ay
-ay is one of the most popular word families. Words containing the sound include:
Clay
Bray
Bay
Say
Day
May
Jay
Hay
Kay
Spray
Sway
Slay
Spay
Stray
Stay
Today
Way
Tray
Okay
Play
Ray
Replay
Relay
-eat
English words with -eat include:
Seat
Peat
Neat
Cleat
Meat
Heat
Cheat
Wheat
Feat
-eel
Words with -eel in them include:
Feel
Reel
Keel
Kneel
Wheel
Steel
Peel
-eep
Words with -eep sound include:
Steep
Sweep
Beep
Jeep
Keep
Peep
Seep
Sheel
Sleep
Weep
-eet
Words containing -eep include:
Sweet
Street
Fleet
Greet
Meet
Feet
Beet
-ell
English words with -ell in them include:
Bell
Cell
Dell
Spell
Dwell
Swell
Farewell
Knell
Hell
Fell
Tell
Well
Yell
-en
Words with -en in them include:
Hen
Men
Send
Children
Wren
When
Pen
Ben
Glen
-ent
Words with -ent in them include:
Went
Bent
Dent
Government
Spent
Tent
Ghent
Event
Lent
Rent
-est
Words with an -est sound include:
Chest
Guest
Unrest
Vest
Rest
Contest
Jest
Festival
Test
Best
-ice
Words with an -ice sound include:
Splice
Rice
Dice
Twice
Nice
Mice
Thrice
Price
Spice
Vice
Icecream
-ick
Words containing -ick include:
Thick
Slick
Quick
Flick
Tick
Lick
Wick
Trick
Pick
Kick
Brick
-ide
Words with -ide in them include:
Chloride
Bromide
Iodide
Bride
Side
Ride
Tide
Decide
Pride
-ife
Words with -ife in them include:
Life
East Fife
Strife
Wife
-ight
Words containing -ight include:
Light
Bright
Flight
Night
Blight
Right
Might
Delight
Knight
Tonight
-ile
Words containing -ile include:
Rile
Bile
Crocodile
Tile
Agile
Stile
Vile
While
File
Nile
-ill
Words containing -ill include:
Will
Dill
Window sill
Quill
Pill
Fill
Drill
Skill
Swill
Thrill
Bill
Chill
-in
Words containing -in include:
Fin
Bin
Sin
Kin
Din
Grin
Spin
Twin
Within
Win
-ine
Words containing -ine include:
Shine
Brine
Whine
Dine
Wine
Define
Incline
Inline
Swine
Vine
Sine
-ing
Words containing -ing include:
Fling
Wing
Sling
Spring
King
Sing
Ring
Wring
Thing
-ink
Words containing -ink include:
Rink
Think
Sink
Drink
Pink
Link
Brink
Stink
-ip
Words containing -ip include:
Drip
Kip
Sip
Whip
Rip
Stipulate
Quip
Tip
Trip
Zip
-it
Words containing -it include:
Holy writ
Sit
Twit
Knit
Fit
Pit
Bit
Kit
Quit
Spit
Wit
-oat
English words with -oat in them include:
Stoat
Groat
Throat
Coat
Gloat
Goat
Boat
-ock
Words containing -ock include:
Hock
Block
Sock
Dock
Frock
Lock
Mock
Smock
-og
Words with -og in them include:
Dog
Cog
Blog
Frog
Jog
Log
Bog
Smog
-oil<.h3>
Words containing -oil include:
Broil
Toil
Foil
Spoil
-oke
Words with -oke include:
Bloke
Stoke
Choke
Smoke
Yoke
Spoke
Coke
-oo
Words containing -oo include:
Coo
Goo
Igloo
Zoo
Woo
-ood (short)
Words with a short -ood sound in them include;
Wood
Stood
Hood
Good
-ood (long)
Words with a long -ood sound in them include:
Food
Brood
Mood
-oof (long)
Words with a long -oof in them include:
Hoof
Proof
Spoof
Roof
Aloof
-oof (short)
Words with a short -oof in them include:
Woof
Poof
-ook
Words with a -ook sound include:
Book
Cook
Brook
Took
Crook
Rook
Nook
-oom
English words with -oom in them include:
Broom
Zoom
Boom
Doom
Bloom
Room
Loom
-oop
English words with -oop in them include:
Droop
Stoop
Loop
Scoop
Snoop
Troop
-oot (long)
Words containing a long -oot sound include:
Shoot
Boot
Toot
-oot (short)
Words containing a short -oot sound include:
Soot
Foot
-ore
English words containing -ore include:
Store
Bore
Chore
More
Core
Paramore
Score
Shore
Gore
Lore
-orn
Words with an -orn sound include:
Born
Scorn
Morn
Shorn
Torn
Worn
-ot
Words containing -ot sounds include:
Shot
Dot
Bot
Cot
Not
-ought
Words with -ought include:
Fought
Thought
Bought
Sought
Wrought
-ould
Words containing -ould include:
Should
Could
Would
-ouse
Words with -ouse in them include:
Mouse
House
Douse
Spouse
-out
Words with -out in them include:
Spout
Sprout
Clout
Snout
Trout
Tout
Roundabout
-ow (rhymes with cow)
Words with -ow which rhyme with “cow” include:
Bow
Sow
Chow
How
Now
-ow (rhymes with low)
Words with -ow that rhyme with “low” include:
Flow
Blow
Mow
Row
Snow
Throw
Tow
Crow
-own
Words that have -own in them include:
Brown
Clown
Drown
Frown
Gown
Town
-uck
Words with -uck in them include:
Cluck
Truck
Luck
Suck
Muck
Chuck
Pluck
Struck
Tuck
Yuck
-ug
Words containing -ug include:
Thug
Rug
Bug
Hug
Jug
Smug
Snug
Tug
-ump
Lastly, words containing -ump include:
Hump
Bump
Sump
Pump
Rump
Thump
Stump
Trump
Pump
Stump
How Many Word Families Are There In The English Language?
There are hundreds of word families in the English language but many of them have only two or three words in them. Some words don’t have a family at all because the English-speaking world imported them into the language from abroad. Good examples include stirrup, orange, and hygge.
What Is The Difference Between Word Families And Rhyming Words?
Rhyming words have the same endings. For instance, “bat” and “cat” both end in -at. Words that are part of word families simply contain the same sequence of letters. Attainment is part of the -at family, but it doesn’t rhyme with either “bat” or “cat.”
Why Do So Many English Words Fall Into The Same Word Families?
Words in the English language have similar sounds for two reasons.
First, there are a limited number of sounds the human mouth and voice box can make. There are more concepts and objects in the world than these sounds, so some letter sequences get reused.
Second, the English language has three primary influences: Latin, French, and Germanic. Latinate words tend to be scientific or “proper” (no slang). By contrast, Germanic words are more guttural and informal.
These source languages had particular ways of making certain sounds. The occupants of England (and now other parts of the world), inherited these noises, continuing the same vowel and consonant patterns.
Why Are Word Families Popular In Nursery Rhymes And Children’s Literature?
Word families are an excellent way to introduce children to the English language. Therefore, they make regular appearances in nursery rhymes and children’s literature. Many nursery rhymes are centuries old and feature archaic uses of words and phrases.
- Here are some examples:
- Bees: A swarm of bees in May, is worth a load of hay
- The Boy in the Barn: An own came out, and flew about
- Hickory Dickory Dock: Hickory Dickory Dock, the mouse ran up the clock
- Birds of a Feather: Birds of a feather, flock together
- Hush Little Baby: Hush little baby, don’t say a word, Papa’s gonna buy you a mockingbird
- I Saw A Ship A-Sailing: I saw a ship a-sailing, a-sailing on the sea, and oh! It was all laden, with pretty things for thee
- Old Mother Goose: Mother Goose had a house, It stood in the wood, Where an owl at the door, As sentinel stood
- Sing a song of sixpence: When the pie was opened, the birds began to sing; wasn’t that a dainty dish, to put before the king?
- Twelve Days of Christmas: On the first day of Christmas, my true love sent to me, a partridge in a pear tree.
- Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee: Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee, resolved to have a battle. For Tweedle-Dum said Tweedle-Dee, had spoiled his nice new rattle.
What Other Types Of Word Families Are There?
Some linguists arrange word families by meaning. Word families include a root word, such as “play” and then a range of prefixes and suffixes that change its meaning or category. For instance, “playing” is the present participle and “playful” is an adjective.
