CK Digraph: Word List & Practice
CK Digraph words follow one repeating pattern, so a child who can read one of them has most of what they need to read the rest. This list has 14 kindergarten–grade 1-level words plus 4 decodable sentences. Practice them out loud — the most common error is trying to sound out 'c' and 'k' as two separate sounds.
- back
- sock
- duck
- pick
- rock
- neck
- kick
- luck
- deck
- truck
- black
- clock
- stick
- trick
Practice these words out loud
Have your child read these sentences to Word Wiz AI. It listens and shows exactly which sounds they missed, not just whether the word was right. Free, no sign-up needed to try.
Try these out loudDecodable Sentences
Every word in these sentences uses sounds your child has already learned, so they can be read by decoding rather than guessing.
- Kick the sock, pick the rock.
- The duck has luck by the deck.
- A black truck hit the stick.
- Trick the clock, then kick back.
How to Teach CK Digraph Words
'Ck' is a spelling-only digraph: it makes exactly the same /k/ sound as a plain letter k, but English uses 'ck' instead of 'k' specifically right after a short vowel at the end of a one-syllable word. This rule is genuinely predictable and worth stating outright — 'short vowel, then ck' — rather than leaving your child to notice it purely through repeated exposure across all the individual word families.
By the time a child has worked through -ack, -eck, -ick, -ock, and -uck as separate word families, this entry is a good chance to step back and confirm the rule has generalized across all five vowels at once — mix words from every vowel together in a single practice list and see if your child reads them with equal ease, regardless of which vowel comes before the 'ck.'
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Trying to sound out 'c' and 'k' as two separate sounds
- Using 'ck' after a long vowel or consonant, where it does not belong
- Confusing which vowel comes before ck in similar-looking words