The Fry words are listed by the frequency with which they occur. So the first Fry word “the” is the most frequently occurring word in the English language. “of” is the second, and so on.

Below, you will find the 100 words that we would like your child to be able to read by sight (without sounding out the letters) by the end of the year. You are more than welcome to go beyond list #10 if you would like. 

Just in case your child is a “smarty pants” and you would like to go further on the Fry Word List, here are the first 800 Fry Words. Kindergarten = must know the first 100 words by sight.  First grade = first 250 words by sight.  

Kindergarten Words

List 1

the
of
and
a
to
in
is
you
that
it

List 2

he
was
for
on
are
as
with
his
they
I

List 3

at
be
this
have
from
or
one
had
by
words

List 4

but
not
what
all
were
we
when
your
can
said

List 5

there
use
an
each
which
she
do
how
their
if

 

List 6

will
up
other
about
out
many
then
them
these
so

List 7

some
her
would
make
like
him
into
time
has
look

List 8

two
more
write
go
see
number
no
way
could
people

List 9

my
than
first
water
been
called
who
sit
oil
now

List 10

find
long
down
day
did
get
come
made
may
part

 1st Grade Words

List 11

over
new
sound
take
only
little
work
know
place
year

List 12

live
me
back
give
most
very
after
thing
our
just

List 13

name
good
sentence
man
think
say
great
where
help
through

List 14

much
before
line
right
too
mean
old
any
same
tell

List 15

boy
following
came
want
show
also
around
form
three
small

 

List 16

set
put
end
does
another
well
large
must
big
even

List 17

such
because
turn
here
why
ask
went
men
read
need

List 18

land
different
home
use
move
try
kind
hand
picture
again

List 19

change
off
play
spell
air
away
animal
house
point
page

List 20

letter
mother
answer
found
study
still
learn
should
America
world

 

List 21

high
every
near
add
food
between
own
below
country
plant

List 22

last
school
father
keep
tree
never
start
city
earth
eyes

List 23

light
thought
head
under
story
saw
left
don’t
few
while

List 24

along
might
close
something
seem
next
hard
open
example
begin

List 25

life
always
those
both
paper
together
got
group
often
run

 2nd Grade Words

List 26

important
until
children
side
feet
car
mile
night
walk
white

List 27

sea
began
grow
took
river
four
carry
state
once
book

List 28

hear
stop
without
second
late
miss
idea
enough
eat
face

List 29

watch
far
Indian
real
almost
let
above
girl
sometimes
mountains

List 30

cut
young
talk
soon
list
song
being
leave
family
it’s

 

List 31

body
music
color
stand
sun
questions
fish
area
mark
dog

List 32

horse
birds
problem
complete
room
knew
since
ever
piece
told

List 33

usually
didn’t
friends
easy
heard
order
red
door
sure
become

List 34

top
ship
across
today
during
short
better
best
however
low

List 35

hours
black
products
happened
whole
measure
remember
early
waves
reached

 

List 36

listen
wind
rock
space
covered
fast
several
hold
himself
toward

List 37

five
step
morning
passed
vowel
true
hundred
against
pattern
numeral

List 38

table
north
slowly
money
map
farm
pulled
draw
voice
seen

List 39

cold
cried
plan
notice
south
sing
war
ground
fall
king

List 40

town
I’ll
unit
figure
certain
field
travel
wood
fire
upon

 

List 41

done
English
road
half
ten
fly
gave
box
finally
wait

List 42

correct
oh
quickly
person
became
shown
minutes
strong
verb
stars

List 43

front
feel
fact
inches
street
decided
contain
course
surface
produce

List 44

building
ocean
class
note
nothing
rest
carefully
scientists
inside
wheels

List 45

stay
green
known
island
week
less
machine
base
ago
stood

 

List 46

plane
system
behind
ran
round
boat
game
force
brought
understand

List 47

warm
common
bring
explain
dry
though
language
shape
deep
thousands

List 48

yes
clear
equation
yet
government
filled
heat
full
hot
check

List 49

object
am
rule
among
noun
power
cannot
able
six
size

List 50

dark
ball
material
special
heavy
fine
pair
circle
include
built

 

List 51

can’t
matter
square
syllables
perhaps
bill
felt
suddenly
test
direction

List 52

center
farmers
ready
anything
divided
general
energy
subject
Europe
moon

List 53

region
return
believe
dance
members
picked
simple
cells
paint
mind

List 54

love
cause
rain
exercise
eggs
train
blue
wish
drop
developed

List 55

window
difference
distance
heart
site
sum
summer
wall
forest
probably

 

List 56

legs
sat
main
winter
wide
written
length
reason
kept
interest

List 57

arms
brother
race
present
beautiful
store
job
edge
past
sign

List 58

record
finished
discovered
wild
happy
beside
gone
sky
grass
million

List 59

west
lay
weather
root
instruments
meet
third
months
paragraph
raised

List 60

represent
soft
whether
clothes
flowers
shall
teacher
held
describe
drive

 3rd Grade Words

List 61

cross
speak
solve
appear
metal
son
either
ice
sleep
village

List 62

factors
result
jumped
snow
ride
care
floor
hill
pushed
baby

List 63

buy
century
outside
everything
tall
already
instead
phrase
soil
bed

List 64

copy
free
hope
spring
case
laughed
nation
quite
type
themselves

List 65

temperature
bright
lead
everyone
method
section
lake
iron
within
dictionary

 

List 66

hair
age
amount
scale
pounds
although
per
broken
moment
tiny

List 67

possible
gold
milk
quiet
natural
lot
stone
act
build
middle

List 68

speed
count
consonant
someone
sail
rolled
bear
wonder
smiled
angle

List 69

fraction
Africa
killed
melody
bottom
trip
hole
poor
let’s
fight

List 70

surprise
French
died
beat
exactly
remain
dress
cat
couldn’t
fingers

 

List 71

row
least
catch
climbed
wrote
shouted
continued
itself
else
plains

List 72

gas
England
burning
design
joined
foot
law
ears
glass
you’re

List 73

grew
skin
valley
cents
key
president
brown
trouble
cool
cloud

List 74

lost
sent
symbols
wear
bad
save
experiment
engine
alone
drawing

List 75

east
choose
single
touch
information
express
mouth
yard
equal
decimal

 

List 76

yourself
control
practice
report
straight
rise
statement
stick
party
seeds

List 77

suppose
woman
coast
bank
period
wire
pay
clean
visit
bit

List 78

whose
received
garden
please
strange
caught
fell
team
God
captain

List 79

direct
ring
serve
child
desert
increase
history
cost
maybe
business

List 80

separate
break
uncle
hunting
flow
lady
students
human
art
feeling