# Foundation Spelling Words: 100 CVC and High-Frequency Words > Foundation spelling words grouped by sound: CVC words for each short vowel, sh, ch and th, and high-frequency words, matched to the Australian Curriculum. ## Foundation spelling words, grouped by sound There is no official Foundation spelling list in Australia. The Australian Curriculum describes what Foundation students learn about spelling, and schools choose the words. These 100 words fit the Foundation focus: consonant-vowel-consonant (CVC) words for each short vowel, the first digraphs sh, ch and th, adding s for more than one, and the high-frequency words children meet in their first books. Foundation spelling is phonics in reverse. Children say a word slowly, hear each sound, and write a letter for it. So the groups below are by sound, and most of the words can be spelt by sounding out alone once the letters are known. **[Make a printable Foundation spelling list →](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=f)** Tick the words you are working on, add your own (topic words work well), and print a list. ## Foundation Spelling Resources by Australian Teachers _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## What Foundation Spelling Covers in the Australian Curriculum In the [Australian Curriculum (version 9) for Foundation English](https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/english/foundation-year), spelling sits in the Literacy strand under Phonic and word knowledge. In plain words, Foundation students learn: - to hear rhymes, syllables and the separate sounds in short spoken words, and to blend and segment them - to name all the letters and know the most common sound each one makes - to write CVC words by writing a letter for each sound, and to read them by blending - to read and write some high-frequency words and familiar words, like their own name - that words can have more than one meaningful part: dogs is dog + s The content descriptions behind this page, in plain words (the curriculum link above has the exact wording): - **AC9EFLY12**: write CVC words by representing sounds with the right letters - **AC9EFLY13**: use knowledge of letters and sounds to spell words - **AC9EFLY14**: read and write some high-frequency words and other familiar words - **AC9EFLY15**: know that words can have more than one meaningful part, like dog + s By the end of Foundation, the achievement standard expects students to spell most CVC words. The high-frequency words take longer, and that is fine: they come up in reading every day. ## 100 Foundation Spelling Words by Sound Each group starts with a tip in one line, then the words. Work through the short vowels in the order your phonics program teaches the letters. ### Short a CVC words (12 words) Three sounds, three letters. Say each sound as you write its letter. cat, mat, sat, hat, map, cap, bag, dad, man, can, ran, jam ### Short e CVC words (10 words) The middle sound is short e, as in egg. bed, red, ten, hen, pen, pet, wet, leg, web, net ### Short i CVC words (10 words) The middle sound is short i, as in insect. pig, big, dig, sit, hit, bin, pin, lip, zip, tin ### Short o CVC words (10 words) The middle sound is short o, as in octopus. dog, log, hot, pot, top, mop, hop, rod, dot, cot ### Short u CVC words (10 words) The middle sound is short u, as in umbrella. bug, rug, mug, sun, run, fun, bus, cup, hut, nut ### sh, ch and th (10 words) Two letters, one sound. The curriculum first names digraphs in Year 1 (AC9E1LY11); many classes meet sh, ch and th late in Foundation. ship, shop, fish, chip, chin, much, this, that, then, with ### Adding s for more than one (8 words) The word stays the same and s goes on the end: dog + s = dogs. cats, dogs, pigs, hens, bugs, cups, maps, pots ### High-frequency words (30 words) Words children read and write every day. Sound out the parts that follow the rules and learn the tricky part by heart. the, and, is, my, go, I, a, to, in, it, at, he, she, we, me, be, see, like, look, said, was, you, are, no, so, up, of, for, they, here **[Turn these words into a printable list →](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=f)** ## High-Frequency Word Activities for Foundation _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## How to Practise Spelling Words in Foundation A Foundation spelling list is short, and the practice is mostly out loud. This is the routine I would use: 1. **Say it and stretch it.** Say the word slowly and have children say it back, stretching the sounds: mmm-aaa-p. 2. **Tap the sounds.** Children tap one finger for each sound, or push a counter into a box for each one. Map has three sounds, so three taps. 3. **Write a letter for each sound.** Say each sound as the letter is written, then read the word back by blending. 4. **Keep it to 3 to 5 words a week**, all with the same vowel, plus one high-frequency word. Look, say, cover, write, check is better kept for later in the year, once children can form their letters confidently. Early on, a plain list of the week's words to read and write at home is enough, and the [spelling list maker](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=f) prints one. For letter work, see [alphabet and letter recognition activities](/teacher-guides/alphabet-letter-recognition-activities), and for games, [phonics activities](/teacher-guides/phonics-activities). ## Spelling Words for Other Year Levels Use Year 1 words for children who are spelling CVC words confidently and are ready for blends and digraphs. - [Year 1 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-1-spelling-words) - [Year 2 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-2-spelling-words) - [Year 3 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-3-spelling-words) - [Year 4 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-4-spelling-words) - [Year 5 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-5-spelling-words) - [Year 6 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-6-spelling-words) Or start at the [spelling words by year](/teacher-guides/spelling-words-by-year) guide. For the [Oxford Wordlist](https://www.oup.com.au/primary/oxford-wordlist), the Magic 100 Words and other high-frequency lists, see the [sight words list](/teacher-guides/sight-words-list) guide. ## Foundation Spelling Words: Frequently Asked Questions ### Is there an official Foundation spelling list in Australia? No. The Australian Curriculum describes what Foundation students learn about spelling, such as writing CVC words and some high-frequency words, but it does not list words. The 100 words on this page fit the Foundation focus. ### What are CVC words? Words made of a consonant, a vowel and a consonant, such as cat, pig and sun. Each letter makes one sound, so children can spell them by hearing the three sounds and writing a letter for each. They are the first words most Foundation children learn to spell. ### How many spelling words should a Foundation child learn each week? Three to five, all with the same vowel sound, plus one high-frequency word. In Foundation the aim is to practise hearing sounds and writing letters, so a few words practised well is better than a long list. ### Are high-frequency words the same as sight words? Mostly. High-frequency words are the words that appear most often in texts, such as the, and and said. Many people call them sight words because children learn to read them on sight. Most can still be partly sounded out, so teach the regular part and the tricky part separately. ### How do I make a printable Foundation spelling list? Open the [free spelling list maker](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=f), tick the words you want, add your own words and press Print. A plain word list is usually best in Foundation. ### Where can I find free Foundation spelling resources? Australian teachers share free phonics and spelling resources on TeachBuySell. [Browse free spelling resources](/s?keywords=spelling&price=0%2C0) and filter by Foundation. --- Source: https://teachbuysell.com.au/teacher-guides/foundation-spelling-words Marketplace: https://teachbuysell.com.au