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-ell word family list

The -ell word family is every word that ends in ell, such as bell, cell, fell. The double l at the end makes one sound. Short words ending in an /l/ sound after a short vowel often double it: bell, hill, doll.

This list has 16 -ell 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

  • bell
  • cell
  • fell
  • sell
  • tell
  • well
  • yell

Words with blends and digraphs

  • dwell
  • shell
  • smell
  • spell
  • swell

Longer words

  • doorbell
  • eggshell
  • farewell
  • seashell

How to use this list

  1. Tell your child the two l's are "friends that stand together and say one sound", then count the sounds in bell: b-e-ll, three.
  2. Read this silly sentence together: "I can smell a shell by the well."
  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 -ell word family?

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

Why does cell start with c and not s?

When c comes before e, i or y it usually says /s/, as in cell and city. It is worth pointing out, but the rest of the word is the same -ell chunk.

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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