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-ing word family list

The -ing word family is every word that ends in ing, such as ding, king, ring. The n and g blend into one sound at the back of the mouth, so it helps to teach -ing as a whole chunk rather than letter by letter.

This list has 16 -ing 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

  • ding
  • king
  • ring
  • sing
  • wing

Words with blends and digraphs

  • bring
  • cling
  • fling
  • sling
  • spring
  • sting
  • string
  • swing
  • thing

Longer words

  • anything
  • something

How to use this list

  1. Say the chunk first ("ing"), then add the first sound: k + ing, king. Once your child has it, the same ending appears in many action words they will meet later.
  2. Read this silly sentence together: "The king can sing on a swing in the spring."
  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 -ing word family?

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

Why not sound out i-n-g one letter at a time?

Because n and g together make a single sound. Reading -ing as one chunk is easier and closer to how the word really sounds.

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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