Free printable · Dolch sight words

Dolch third grade sight words

Edward Dolch published his list of 220 "service words" in 1936: the small words, like the, and and said, that make up much of what young children read. Schools usually teach them in five levels; this is the third grade level. It is the last of the five service-word levels and has more two-syllable words, such as better, carry, never, seven and together.

This page has all 41 words of the Dolch third grade list, in alphabetical order, as a printable list and as flashcards.

Words a to d

about
better
bring
carry
clean
cut
done
draw
drink

Words e to h

eight
fall
far
full
got
grow
hold
hot
hurt

Words i to n

if
keep
kind
laugh
light
long
much
myself
never

Words o to s

only
own
pick
seven
shall
show
six
small
start

Words t to w

ten
today
together
try
warm

How to use this list

Split the longer words into syllables and read each part: to-geth-er, sev-en, nev-er.
Sound out any part of the word that follows the usual rules (most do), and point out only the tricky part.
Keep a small pile of words your child knows and a small pile they are learning, and move cards over as they get them.
Read the words in real books too. A word on a card is learned for good when your child reads it in a story without stopping.

Frequently asked questions

Are Dolch words the same as sight words?

Dolch words are one well-known list of high-frequency words. Many schools call them sight words, but most of them can be sounded out, and children learn them best with phonics plus practice, not by memorising shapes.

My child already reads most of these. What next?

Great. Spend the time on reading real books, which is where these words do their job, and on longer words with prefixes and suffixes.

Is it all right to print and share this list?

Yes. The Dolch lists are old enough to be in the public domain, and this page is free to print for home or classroom use.

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