The other half of every phonics screening check is real words, from chip and jump to portrait and smoother. Here are all 260 from the 13 published papers (2012 to 2026), grouped by year. Some come back again and again, so there are 244 different ones.
Children don't need to know what a word means to read it in the check, but real words are a chance to talk about meaning too: what is a turnip, a tailor, a trapeze?
Every real word, 2012 to 2026
2026 · real words
- shed
- lock
- foot
- chess
- clip
- drill
- junk
- quilt
- low
- clean
- dirt
- theme
- craft
- grains
- scram
- splits
- eaten
- orbits
- kicking
- smoother
2025 · real words
- quiz
- sell
- form
- shark
- snip
- clang
- bunk
- boils
- pie
- found
- boom
- shake
- spelt
- floats
- scrub
- scribe
- delay
- statue
- counter
- grateful
2024 · real words
- shin
- fang
- sort
- chill
- fled
- speck
- ramp
- corns
- bar
- sneak
- curl
- doze
- plank
- shrimp
- split
- stripe
- relay
- ending
- dolphin
- crackers
2023 · real words
- chip
- hill
- jars
- shack
- twin
- crack
- tuft
- ports
- boy
- scoop
- foam
- white
- swept
- dreams
- scrap
- strike
- elbow
- tailor
- sequins
- whirling
2022 · real words
- thud
- hang
- coin
- shell
- twig
- flick
- vest
- horns
- globe
- teams
- bowl
- chase
- clouds
- spree
- stroke
- visit
- fabric
- trapeze
- concrete
2019 · real words
- shop
- yell
- peel
- check
- plug
- sweep
- soft
- yards
- few
- fried
- beak
- cute
- crust
- trails
- strip
- scraps
- label
- vanish
- blossom
- thankful
2018 · real words
- chop
- sing
- dart
- shock
- flat
- skill
- gift
- coins
- twice
- gloom
- turn
- mode
- blast
- groans
- spray
- strike
- delay
- modern
- saucers
- charming
2017 · real words
- chum
- kick
- reef
- short
- blot
- greet
- dust
- parks
- high
- feast
- goal
- shape
- trunk
- groups
- straw
- scribe
- model
- person
- chapter
- reptiles
2016 · real words
- chin
- deck
- horn
- queen
- tram
- press
- self
- keeps
- stair
- haunt
- lied
- wove
- drank
- treats
- scram
- stroke
- arrow
- forest
- wishing
- brighter
2015 · real words
- shed
- long
- soil
- chart
- crab
- fresh
- wink
- shuts
- law
- glued
- zoom
- rice
- grand
- cloaks
- scrap
- strike
- river
- diving
- beehive
- midnight
2014 · real words
- quiz
- back
- doom
- short
- freed
- dress
- fund
- think
- nigh
- brown
- main
- rude
- drink
- crowds
- splat
- stripe
- comic
- giving
- pumpkin
- fighters
2013 · real words
- thin
- peck
- torn
- cheek
- trap
- snarl
- milk
- moist
- toy
- spike
- fuel
- name
- props
- spoilt
- scram
- strike
- panic
- second
- tantrum
- reaching
2012 · real words
- chip
- jazz
- farm
- thorn
- stop
- truck
- jump
- lords
- fair
- flute
- goat
- shine
- crept
- shrubs
- scrap
- stroke
- index
- turnip
- waiting
- portrait
Every real word from the phonics screening check, 2012 to 2026 · Crown copyright, reused under the Open Government Licence v3.0 · phonogramfun.com/learn
The patterns that come up most
Counting every letter team across all 260 real words, these appear most often:
| Letter team | Times in real words |
|---|---|
| sh | 19 |
| or | 15 |
| ch | 14 |
| ck | 14 |
| ng | 14 |
| ar | 10 |
| ee | 10 |
| er | 10 |
Words used in more than one paper: strike (2013, 2015, 2018, 2023); scrap (2012, 2015, 2023); stroke (2012, 2016, 2022); scram (2013, 2016, 2026); chip (2012, 2023); quiz (2014, 2025); short (2014, 2017); stripe (2014, 2024); shed (2015, 2026); scribe (2017, 2025); delay (2018, 2025).
One page per year
Each year has its own page with the 40 words in the order children read them, alien and real words together: 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.
Questions parents ask
How many real words are in the phonics screening check?
20 of the 40 words are real words. They are words 13 to 20 and 29 to 40.
Will these exact real words be in next year's check?
Very unlikely. Most words are new each year, and the check is designed so that memorising words gives no advantage. Use these lists to practise the sounds, not the words.
Does my child need to know what the real words mean?
No. The check only measures whether a child can read the word aloud correctly. Talking about the meanings is still worthwhile for vocabulary.