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-ick word family list

The -ick word family is every word that ends in ick, such as kick, lick, pick. Like -ack and -ock, it ends in ck, the usual spelling of /k/ straight after a short vowel.

This list has 17 -ick 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

  • kick
  • lick
  • pick
  • tick
  • wick

Words with blends and digraphs

  • brick
  • chick
  • click
  • flick
  • quick
  • slick
  • stick
  • thick
  • trick

Longer words

  • chopstick
  • drumstick
  • lipstick

How to use this list

  1. Build the longer words from parts your child knows: chop + stick, drum + stick. Read each half, then the whole word.
  2. Read this silly sentence together: "A quick chick can kick a brick."
  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 -ick word family?

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

Why does quick have a u in it?

In English, q is almost always followed by u, and qu together says /kw/. So quick is qu-i-ck: three chunks, read the same way as the other -ick 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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