Word list title:


Number of words:

(300 max, and note: if there aren't enough words on our lists that meet your criteria, the PDF may have fewer words)

Number of syllables in each word:

2

3

4+

STEP 1: Select which type of words to include. (required!)

	Real words		Nonsense words		A mix

STEP 2: Select syllable types to include. (optional!)

Click "include only selected syllable types" to see options. Only the syllable types that you select will be included in the word list. This feature is useful if you haven't taught every syllable type yet and only want to include syllable types that your students know. IMPORTANT NOTE: most multi-syllable words have multiple syllable types. Therefore, we recommend selecting EVERY type of syllable that your students have learned so that you can get the largest possible word bank.

Include all six syllable types

Only include selected syllable types

? Closed syllables

? Open syllables

? R-controlled syllables

? Silent-E syllables

? Vowel team syllables

? Consonant -le syllables

STEP 3: Select focus syllable. (optional!)

Click "select focus syllables" to see options. You can select ONE focus syllable, and EVERY word in the list will contain this syllable type. You might use this feature when you are introducing a new syllable type. For example, you might want a list of words that all contain open syllables to give your students plenty of practice with this syllable type.

Do not select focus syllable

Select focus syllable

Closed syllables

Open syllables

R-controlled syllables

Silent-E syllables

Vowel team syllables

Consonant -le syllables

Generate word list! Generate word cards!

How to Use the Multi-Syllable Phonics Word List Generator

The multi-syllabic phonics word list generator is designed to meet the needs of teachers and students who need additional practice with multi-syllable words. The word list generator can create printable custom lists of real or nonsense words with two, three, or four or more syllables.

The multi-syllable phonics word list generator can generate words with the following six syllable types: closed syllables, open syllables, r-controlled vowel syllables, vowel team syllables, silent e (VCe) syllables, and consonant-le syllables.

To use the multi-syllable phonics word list generator, first choose how many syllables you would like in your words. Next, choose if you would like your list to have real words, nonsense words, or a mix.

Your next step is to choose the syllable types that the words on your list will be made up of. For “Step 2: Select syllable types to include,” we recommend selecting all of the syllable types that your students have learned. Most multi-syllabic words have more than one syllable type, so choosing as many syllable types as possible will give you the largest possible bank of words to choose from. This is especially true of words with three or more syllables, and of words that have syllable types that are more rarely found at the beginning of a word (e.g., consonant-le syllables or silent e syllables).

If you do want to focus on a particular syllable type, select that one in “Step 3: Select focus syllables.” This syllable type will appear in all of the words that you select, so that your students will have plenty of practice with that particular type of syllable.

After creating your list, simply click on “Generate word list” or “Generate word cards” to create and download your free, printable PDF! Then, just repeat the process if you’d like to create a new list.

Classroom Examples

• A first-grade teacher is introducing words with multiple syllables for the first time. She wants to start with simple words containing only closed syllables. She selects 2-syllable words and real words only. For Step 2 she selects closed syllables. This ensures that the words on the list will ONLY have closed syllables.
• A reading intervention teacher is introducing r-controlled syllables. His students are already familiar with closed and open syllables. He selects 2-syllable words with real words only. For Step 2 he selects closed, open, and r-controlled syllables, since his students can read all three syllable types. For Step 4 he selects r-controlled syllables, so that all of the words on the list will contain an r-controlled syllable.
• A fourth-grade teacher wants to help her students read longer words more fluently. She selects 4-syllable words, and chooses a mix of real and nonsense words to get the largest possible word bank. She doesn’t specify any particular syllable type in step 2 or 3, because she wants her students to practice with a wide range of words and syllables.

Understanding the Six Syllable Types

English words are composed of six different syllable types. It’s important for students to be able to identify and understand each syllable type, because the syllable type affects the pronunciation of the vowel(s) within the syllable. Students benefit from explicit instruction on finding and reading all six syllable types.

Here is a brief explanation of each of the six syllable types:

• Closed syllables contain a vowel followed by one or more consonants. They may or may not have consonants before the vowel. The vowel makes its short sound. Examples: ath, hab, flect
• Open syllables are syllables that end with a vowel or a y. The vowel makes its long sound. Note that u has two possible long sounds (as in “flu” vs. “menu”). Y can also make one of two sounds (as in “baby” vs. “fly”). Examples: de, so, cy
• R-controlled syllables are syllables in which the vowel is followed by the letter r (as in, ar, er, ir, or, ur). The letter r changes the sound of the vowel. Examples: ar, bor, cern
• Silent e syllables are syllables that end with a vowel-consonant-e pattern. They are also referred to as VCe syllables. The vowel makes its long sound. Note that u can make two different long sounds (as in “mute” vs. “tune”). These syllables are generally, but not always, found at the end of real words in English. Examples: cuse, crete, ide
• Vowel team syllables are syllables in which two vowels come together to make a single sound. Some vowel team syllables don’t have two traditional vowels, but have a vowel followed by a w or a y. Some vowel teams can make different sounds in different words. Examples: poun, maw, doy
• Consonant-le syllables are syllables that end with a consonant followed by an -le. These syllables are almost always found at the end of real English words, except in the case of compound words. Examples: tle, ble, dle

Teaching the Six Syllable Types

When teaching a new syllable type, you should first begin by introducing single-syllable words. You can create word lists for most syllable types using our free single-syllable word list generator. Closed syllables will be those with short vowels. R-controlled syllables will be those with r-controlled vowels. Silent e syllables (or VCe syllables) will be those with VCe vowels. Vowel team syllables will be those with vowel teams. Open syllables and consonant-le syllables are not included in the single-syllable word list generator because in real single-syllable words they are rare (in the case of open syllables) or nonexistent (in the case of consonant-le syllables).

When your students have mastered reading the syllables in isolation, its time to practice identifying and reading them in real words! In order to find syllables, your students will first need to identify all of the vowels in a word. This works because each syllable contains one or more vowel.

Once they have done this, they will need to determine where one syllable ends and the next begins. This can be tricky, because sometimes there isn’t a clear rule or pattern that tells where to split syllables. Generally, consonants that form common consonant blends or digraphs “stick together” in the same syllable, so a good next step is searching for common consonant combinations. Then, the students can split the syllables between unattached consonants.

Once the students have determined where to split the syllables, they can determine each syllable type. This will tell them how to pronounce the vowel(s). Then, they can try reading the word. If it doesn’t sound quite like a word that they recognize, they may need to try splitting the syllables elsewhere. Note that nonsense words can have more than one correct pronunciation, depending on where the syllables are split!

If this all sounds quite complicated, that’s because it is! Learning to read words with multiple syllables is a lot of work, and many students require very explicit instruction and many, many opportunities to practice before they master this skill. That’s where our printable PDF word lists come in! Students can practice splitting syllables, identifying syllable types, and reading multi-syllabic words over and over again until they build mastery and, eventually, fluency!

Ideas for using multi-syllabic word lists in the classroom

• Morning work: Students split and mark up syllables following the notation of the phonics program that you are using in the classroom. Students then practice reading the word list independently. All students can work on the same word list, or students can work on differentiated word lists depending on their individual needs. Consider creating “morning work packets” that contain one or two weeks of practice syllables for each group to make this more manageable!
• Small group practice: Create a word list using Focus Syllables that are challenging for your small group. During small group time, students can practice reading the word list for accuracy and/or fluency.
• Whole group practice: Teach your students a choral routine in which they find the vowels, split the syllables, identify each syllable type, identify the vowel sound, and read each syllable.
• Homework: Send home a word list of the week, differentiated to meet students’ needs, or adapted to the skills you are working on in the classroom. Students practice reading the word list every night.
• Assessments: Track mastery of sounds or syllable types using multi-syllabic word lists. Print a copy for you and a copy for the student. As they read, mark errors to track progress and learn what skills or sounds to focus on next. Our word lists are also useful for progress monitoring IEP goals that call for reading or spelling words with certain syllable types or certain numbers of syllables.

Ideas for using multi-syllabic word cards in the classroom

• Sorting: Create word cards that contain two or three kinds of syllables. Students can mark up the words, then sort the words in a double or triple Venn diagram according to the syllable types.
• Fluency: Use the word cards as flash cards in whole or small group to review previously-taught syllable types and help develop fluency. Alternatively, give students individualized and differentiated word card sets to practice reading individually or with a partner.
• Word of the Day: Introduce a new word every day that follows a syllabication pattern that you are practicing. Discuss the syllables in the word, the meaning of the word, and any other relevant features.
• Matching game: Print two copies of the same set of word cards. Students take turns flipping over two words and reading them. If they get a match, they keep both cards and take another turn!
• Go Fish: Print two or four copies of the same set of word cards to create your deck of cards. Students can play Go Fish using word cards instead of a regular card deck. It’s a perfect way to practice, because students need to read the words over and over in order to ask for the cards they need! Click here if you need a refresher on the rules of Go Fish.
• Hangman: Students play a game of hangman, but the word selected comes from a word list or word card deck that matches the syllable types you are practicing.

Got other great ideas?

Know any great phonics games? Have a favorite center using word cards? I’d love to hear your ideas! Shoot me an email at beccatheteacher (at) gmail.com

About me!

Hi! My name is Miss Becca, and I’m an elementary school teacher in New York. Over the course of my teaching career, I’ve taught every grade from kindergarten through fifth grade. I’m certified in both special and general education, and I’ve taught students from both populations. I’ve also taught reading intervention.

I used to spend a lot of time creating my own word lists and word cards to supplement phonics programs and reading intervention programs. Learning to read is hard, and students need a lot of practice, but it was difficult to find resources targeting exactly what I needed! I created phonicswordlist.com to make my own job in the classroom easier, and hopefully to help other teachers as well!

I hope you find this resource useful! Feel free to shoot me an email at beccatheteacher (at) gmail (dot) com with any questions or feedback!

P.S. – Check out my store on Teachers Pay Teachers! 😊

Contact!

Email me at beccatheteacher (at) gmail (dot) com

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