Free printable · word families

-op word family list

The -op word family is every word that ends in op, such as cop, hop, mop. Many -op words are movements or noises (hop, pop, plop, drop), which makes them fun to read aloud.

This list has 17 -op 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

  • cop
  • hop
  • mop
  • pop
  • top

Words with blends and digraphs

  • chop
  • crop
  • drop
  • flop
  • plop
  • prop
  • shop
  • stop

Longer words

  • hilltop
  • laptop
  • lollipop
  • raindrop

How to use this list

  1. Play hop and stop: your child reads a word card, then hops once if it starts with one letter and twice if it starts with two.
  2. Read this silly sentence together: "Hop to the shop, then stop and drop a lollipop."
  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 -op word family?

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

How do I teach lollipop?

Break it into three beats: lol-li-pop. Clap each beat, read each part, then put them together.

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.

Free: the 10-minute daily phonics routine

Four short steps you can do with your child every day: sounds, blending, reading and a quick chat about the story. One printable page.

We'll email you the 10-minute daily phonics routine, a few short reading tips over the next month, then at most one monthly roundup of new guides. Unsubscribe anytime.

Keep reading

More word families

See all free printables →