Phonics for Kids Lesson 12: Tricky Words and Sight Words (Free Worksheet)

Try to sound out "said". Does it say "sayd"? In Phonics Lesson 12, children learn tricky words (sight words) that do not follow the sound rules: the, was, said, you, they, are, my, come, some, one, to and do. They read short sentences, spot mistakes, make Tricky Word Flash Cards, and finish with a 5-question quiz.

1. Tricky Words

• Tricky words do not follow the sound rules.
• We learn them by sight, like a picture.
• They come in almost every sentence!

2. Tricky Words 1

• the – the cat
• was – it was hot
• said – Mum said hi
• you – I see you
• they – they ran
• are – we are here

3. Tricky Words 2

• my – my bag
• come – come here
• some – some cake
• one – one sun
• to – go to bed
• do – I can do it

4. Read the Sentence

The dog was big. (the • was), They said hello. (they • said), Come to my house. (come • to • my), You are my friend. (you • are • my)

5. Spot the Mistake

• ❌ “was” read as “wass”  →  ✅ was → wuz
• ❌ “the” read as “t-h-e”  →  ✅ the → thuh

6. Your Turn

Ask your child these questions. Answers are in brackets.

• Read: said (said)
• Read: they (they)
• Read: some (some)
• Read: one (one)

7. Activity: Tricky Word Flash

You need: paper cards, crayons.

1. Write each tricky word on a card.
2. Flash a card. Read it as fast as you can!
3. Put the words you know in a “happy” pile.

8. Quick Recap

• Tricky words don’t follow the sound rules.
• Learn them by sight.
• the • was • said • you • they • are
• my • come • some • one • to • do

Free Worksheet

Download and print the worksheet (answer key included):

Phonics 12: Tricky Words worksheet (PDF) →

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22 questions with instant answers and explanations:

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