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O (want) Sound Word List with the “a” Spelling

By Rodney Everson • Updated Jun 8th, 2023

OnTrack Reading Phonics Program

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The /o/ sound has one alternative spelling, a, besides the usual o spelling. In some regions, many of the words on this list will be pronounced with an /aw/ sound distinct from the /o/ sound. In those regions, it is useful to try to pronounce them with an /o/ sound for spelling purposes.

Also for spelling purposes, words such as what and was on this list should be taught as having an /o/ sound rather than an /u/ or schwa sound. Just pronounce them with emphasis in a sentence to make the point.

Of the 7,000 words in the database constructed from a popular children’s dictionary, 42 of them are one-syllable words in which the vowel sound /o/ is spelled with an "a".

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Comprehensive Word Lists

Features over 100 word lists built from 7,000 words input from a children's dictionary. Lists are organized by vowel and consonant sounds and cover most common spellings. Useful in the classroom for building curriculum aids such as short stories that emphasize specific sounds and spellings. Multisyllable words are also included, chunked according to the method taught in the OnTrack Reading Advanced Code Phonics Workbook.
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