Sound Boxes
Tap each dot and say that part. Then sweep your finger under the boxes and blend!
Need more than one? Tap + for extra copies (up to 10).
How to do it
- Say the word.
- Tap each dot and say that part.
- Sweep your finger under the boxes and blend.
Teaching tip
Dashed boxes are silent letters. Tap right past them! This sheet is aligned with Common Core RF.3.3d.
About this chart
All 50 tricky words with one box for each sound or syllable and a dot to tap under each box (2 pages).
What kids practice
Tricky words are common words that are not spelled the way they sound, like enough, friend and island. Third graders learn to read and spell these words by heart. Most of each word still follows the rules, so it helps to find the one part that is tricky.
Watch for
- Spelling the word the way it sounds, like "enuf" for enough.
- Mixing up words that look alike, like though, through and thought.
- Skipping words that aren't used often, so they get forgotten.
It's free to print, as many copies as you need. See the full third-grade tricky words guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. Tricky Words ChartAll 50 third-grade tricky words with boxes to track progress. - See it all
2. Sound It Out CardsAll 50 tricky words split into sounds or syllables, like a • gain, with the tricky part marked with a heart and how a dictionary says each word (3 pages). - See it all
4. Sound It Out ListAll 50 tricky words in a list with the sound parts, an easy "say it" spelling, how a dictionary says it, and what makes it tricky (4 pages). 
5. Read, Trace, WriteRead each tricky word, trace it twice, then write it twice on its own.
6. Spot the Tricky PartTricky words in letter tiles. Circle the part that doesn't follow the rules, like the ough in enough.
7. Fill In the Tricky WordSentences to complete with tricky words from a word box.
8. Tricky Word CardsTwelve cut-out flash cards of third-grade tricky words.