What Are Tricky Words? A Guide for Teachers

When teaching young learners to read and write, one of the key challenges educators face is helping students navigate the quirks of the English language. Among these challenges, tricky words stand out. These words often defy regular phonetic rules and can cause confusion for students as they try to make sense of how letters and sounds work together. But what exactly are tricky words, and why are they so important to teaching literacy?

In this blog post, we’ll explore what tricky words are, why they can be so tricky, and offer some valuable resources for teachers to help students overcome these hurdles.

What Are Tricky Words?

Tricky words are words that cannot be easily decoded using common phonetic rules. In other words, they do not follow typical sound-to-letter patterns that children are taught when learning to read. These words may have unusual spellings, silent letters, or irregular pronunciations that don’t match their written form.

For example:

• “though” – the “ough” combination does not sound as expected, as it’s pronounced “th-oh”.
• “said” – the “ai” is not pronounced as “ay”, as one might expect from other words containing “ai”.
• “was” – the “a” is not pronounced like “ah”, as in many other words.

Tricky words can be difficult for children to read and spell, especially when they rely on phonetic rules that don’t always apply.

What Are Tricky Words Often Referred To As?

Tricky words are those words which cannot be sounded out easily.  They can also be referred to as “high-frequency words” or “sight words.”

• High-frequency words: These are words that occur most often in written texts, but they may not follow regular phonetic patterns. For example, words like “the”, “come”, and “of” are all high-frequency words that may need to be learned by sight rather than by decoding.
• Sight words: This term is often used interchangeably with tricky words. Sight words are words that children are encouraged to recognise by sight, rather than sound out. The rationale behind this is that these words are so common in written language that recognising them instantly makes reading more fluent.

Both high-frequency words and sight words include tricky words, but the key point is that these words need to be memorised because their spelling and pronunciation don’t always follow the rules.

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Why Are Tricky Words Important?

Tricky words play a critical role in a child’s reading and writing development. Here’s why they matter:

1. Reading Fluency: The more high-frequency or sight words a child can recognise instantly, the more fluent their reading becomes. When children don’t have to pause to decode each individual word, they can focus on comprehension and enjoy the flow of reading.
2. Spelling: Spelling tricky words correctly is often a challenge for children because they don’t follow typical phonetic rules. Mastering tricky words helps improve spelling accuracy in writing.
3. Confidence: Successfully recognising and spelling tricky words gives students a sense of achievement. They are able to read more complex texts without getting stuck on words that don’t conform to phonetic rules, which builds their confidence and motivates them to continue reading.
4. Critical for Literacy: Many tricky words are some of the most commonly used words in written English. A strong grasp of these words is essential for children to become competent readers and writers. Without mastering them, students may struggle with more advanced texts later on.

How Can Teachers Support the Teaching of Tricky Words?

Supporting children in learning tricky words requires a combination of direct instruction, repetition, and creative activities. Below are some helpful resources and strategies for teaching tricky words in a fun and engaging way.

Flashcards

Flashcards are a tried-and-true method for reinforcing tricky words. They provide a quick and visual way to help children recognise words by sight. Flashcards can be used in various ways:

• Games: Teachers can create games where children match tricky words to pictures or words to definitions. This adds an element of fun to the learning process.
• Word Walls: Displaying tricky words on a “word wall” in the classroom can help children repeatedly see and engage with them in context.
• Spelling Practice: Have students spell the words out loud or trace them with their fingers to reinforce muscle memory.

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Tricky and Decodable Word Cards

Make Tricky and Decodable words easy to learn with these Monster Phonics A5 Tabletop Cards.

Traditional ways of learning to spell can be time-consuming and for some children they are ineffective. Monster Phonics is colour-coded for sound to accelerate learning.

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Tricky words may be challenging for students, but with the right strategies, resources, and support, teachers can help children master these words and build their reading and writing confidence. By understanding the importance of these words and using engaging tools to support their learning, teachers can help ensure that all students become fluent, confident readers and writers.

Read more on Tricky Words

How Does Monster Phonics Support Phonics Teaching?

Monster Phonics is an enhanced systematic synthetic phonics scheme. It teaches phonics in a comprehensive structured progression but provides additional multi-sensory support to make learning more memorable and engaging. It uses colour coding and monster sound cues to support learning when children encounter long vowels, silent letters, and tricky letters. This additional support is used consistently and then cleverly phased out, creating confident independent readers. And, it’s not just about the colours; the monsters themselves each represent a sound which brings phonics to life. This creates engagement, and speeds up the learning process for everyone.

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