Phase 4
Tricky words, phase 4
These words are tricky. Tap a word to hear it. Look for the tricky part.
Tap to hear
The tricky part of each word is in colour. Sound out the rest.
Flash cards
For grown-ups
Tricky words (also called common exception words or red words) are common words with a part that does not follow the sounds taught so far, like said or the. Do not just memorise the whole shape: sound out the regular letters and learn only the tricky part. Which words count as tricky depends on the programme and on your accent, so treat this list as a guide.
Read more: common exception words (national curriculum Year 1 and Year 2 lists).
Follow your own programme. This order follows the general Letters and Sounds phase order (GOV.UK, 2007, now historical). Schools in England choose their own phonics programme. The DfE publishes a list of validated programmes (there is no legal requirement to use one), and each programme orders the sounds a little differently. If your school has one, practise in its order and use these pages for extra listening and reading.