Word Family Sorter and Phonics Sorting Activities
Turn a phonics word list into a sorting activity, so students group words by sound pattern and learn to read new words by analogy instead of memorizing one at a time.
Try it out.
See a sample set of word family lists in action. Demo results are pre-made examples for short vowel word families, Grade 1 (K-2). Sign up free to create word family lists from your own lesson.
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Sample lesson
Short vowel families · Grade 1 (K-2)Click Generate Word Lists to see the word families this lesson produces.
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Why teachers use our word family sorter
Pattern-based sorting that helps students decode unfamiliar words on their own.
Words grouped into families
-at, -an, -ig, -op and more, sorted so students see the shared pattern across a whole set of words.
Built from the patterns you're teaching
Short and long vowels, silent e, r-controlled vowels, or your own custom patterns and word lists.
Prints as a sorting page
Columns and word sets laid out with real writing space, ready to cut, sort, or write into.
Ready in about a minute
Word work you can hand out today, without building a sorting chart by hand.
How it works
Three steps, about a minute.
Choose the word families
Pick the patterns you want students to sort, or add your own.
Generate the word set
ELTDesk fills each family with words that fit the pattern.
Print the sorting page
Print or download the page, or save it to your library for next year.
Word family FAQs
Common questions about word families and sorting activities.
Ready to sort words by pattern with your class?
Free to try. No credit card required.