Real or nonsense word sort maker

Sound it out: is it a real word?

Make a real or nonsense word sort. Your child cuts out sixteen cards, sounds out each one and decides: is it a real word, or a made-up word? Then glues it on the right side of the mat. Made-up words such as zat and mib cannot be guessed, so they show whether a child is really blending the sounds.

Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

Watch: how the free worksheet makers workA two-minute lesson. Every maker works the same way.

How to make your worksheet

  1. Choose one short vowel, or all five mixed.
  2. Print the mat, the cards and the answer key.
  3. Cut out the cards.
  4. Your child sounds out each card and glues it on its side.

The reading skill

Reading a made-up word needs true blending: every letter sound, pushed together, with no help from memory. That is why reading checks in schools use them.

Checked words

The real words come from our checked short vowel sets. The made-up words were chosen so they are not real words, names or slang.

A grown-up reads the headings

The two headings on the mat are for reading together.

Good questions

Why read words that are not real?

They show if a child can sound out any word, not only words seen before.

Could a made-up word be a real word somewhere?

We tried to avoid that. If your family knows one as a word, count it as real.

Is there an answer key?

Yes. Leave “Answer key page” turned on and the key prints as the last page.

Can I get a different page each time?

Yes. Press “New version: mix it again” and the maker picks again.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

Free · 2 minutes

Is reading hard for your child, and you are not sure why?

“Behind in reading” can mean ten different things, and each one needs different help. Check off what is true for your child. You will see the one thing to work on first, and what can wait.

Find where to start