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-an word family list

The -an word family is every word that ends in an, such as ban, can, fan. Several -an words are things children see every day (a van, a fan, a pan), which makes them easy to talk about.

This list has 17 -an words in 3 groups. The first group is the easiest; the later groups add a blend, a digraph or a second syllable, so your child can keep going as the pattern gets easy.

Starter words

  • ban
  • can
  • fan
  • man
  • pan
  • ran
  • tan
  • van

Words with blends and digraphs

  • bran
  • clan
  • flan
  • plan
  • scan
  • span
  • than

Longer words

  • began
  • suntan

How to use this list

  1. Go on an -an hunt around the kitchen: find a pan or a can, then read the word on the list.
  2. Read this silly sentence together: "The man ran to the van with a fan and a pan."
  3. Keep sessions short: a few minutes a day beats one long session a week.
  4. Ask your child to say each sound and then blend them into the word. If they guess from the first letter, cover the word and go sound by sound again.
  5. Print the flashcards, mix them up, and read them out of order once the list feels easy, so your child is reading the word and not remembering the list.

Frequently asked questions

What is the -an word family?

A group of words that all end in the same letters and sound, -an. Children read the ending as one chunk, so they only have to work out the sound at the start.

Why does "than" start with th?

Th is a digraph: two letters that make one sound. Than still has three sounds, th-a-n, so it is a good next step after the starter words.

Should my child memorise these words?

No. The aim is to read the ending as a chunk and blend it with the first sound. If your child can read a word from the list they have never seen before, the pattern has clicked.

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