What are Fry words and how are they different from Dolch words?

Both are lists of the most common words in English print. Edward Dolch built his list in the 1930s; Edward Fry updated the idea in the 1950s with a bigger, frequency-ordered list. They overlap heavily, and practicing either one builds the same skill.

How many Fry words should a 1st grader learn?

The first hundred is the standard first-grade goal, and it's worth the effort: those hundred words make up about half of everything in print. A few new words a day, revisited often, gets there comfortably by spring.

1st grade Fry instant words

1st grade Fry instant words worksheets

The Fry instant words rank English words by how often they appear in print: the first hundred make up about half of everything a child reads. First graders trace and write words from that first hundred until recognition is instant.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.g.

Each print is a different sheet. You don't need to sign up.

The kind of words you'll practice

Trace each word two times. Then write it yourself on the line.

nowfortheirdaybywritehenumber

Each word appears twice in light gray for tracing, then once as a blank line for writing it without help.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 1st grade sheet

1st grade sheets draw from 100 words, 7 to a page. None of these words are on 2nd grade sheets. 2nd grade sheets print 8 to a page.

Some of the words:

buthadhashaveherhisthenupusesit

Tracing. Trace each word two times. Then write it yourself on the line. 7 words per page.

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with a word list on the last page.

How to teach this

Little, daily, and out loud: say the word, trace it twice, write it once, use it in a spoken sentence. The first hundred words are mostly short, so speed is a fair goal; celebrate instant recognition, not neat handwriting.

Watch for: Fry words and Dolch words overlap; they're two researchers' lists of the same idea, the most frequent words in print. The lists are ordered by how often words appear, not by how hard they are to spell.

Common questions about 1st grade Fry instant words

What are Fry words and how are they different from Dolch words?: Both are lists of the most common words in English print. Edward Dolch built his list in the 1930s; Edward Fry updated the idea in the 1950s with a bigger, frequency-ordered list. They overlap heavily, and practicing either one builds the same skill.
How many Fry words should a 1st grader learn?: The first hundred is the standard first-grade goal, and it's worth the effort: those hundred words make up about half of everything in print. A few new words a day, revisited often, gets there comfortably by spring.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core RF.1.3.g. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated October 2026.

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