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-ot word family list

The -ot word family is every word that ends in ot, such as cot, dot, got. "Not" and "got" appear in many early books, so this family pays off quickly.

This list has 19 -ot 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

  • cot
  • dot
  • got
  • hot
  • jot
  • lot
  • not
  • pot
  • rot

Words with blends and digraphs

  • blot
  • clot
  • plot
  • shot
  • slot
  • spot
  • trot

Longer words

  • forgot
  • robot
  • teapot

How to use this list

  1. Make a dot on paper for every word your child reads correctly. When the page is full of dots, read the whole column again.
  2. Read this silly sentence together: "The robot got a hot pot from the spot."
  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 -ot word family?

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

Why does the o in robot sound different at the start?

The first o in robot is at the end of a syllable (ro-), so it says its name. The second o is closed in by the t, so it says its short sound, like the rest of the -ot family.

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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