-ick Word Family: Word List & Practice
-ick Word Family 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 13 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' separately.
- kick
- lick
- pick
- sick
- tick
- wick
- brick
- chick
- click
- quick
- stick
- thick
- 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.
- Pick a brick and kick it quick.
- The chick can lick the stick.
- Click the tick, not the trick.
- The thick wick is sick.
How to Teach -ick Word Family Words
The -ick family, like -ack and -eck before it, uses the 'ck' short-vowel spelling rule for the /k/ sound, so by this point your child should be recognizing that pattern across families without needing it re-taught from scratch. This is a good moment to check for that transfer: if your child hesitates on 'ck' here after having learned it in -ack, a quick reminder ('remember, ck after a short vowel') is usually all it takes.
This family also contains 'chick,' 'click,' 'quick,' 'thick,' and 'trick' — a rich mix of digraphs and blends layered onto the same ending, making -ick an excellent comprehensive review word list once digraphs and blends have both been introduced separately.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Trying to sound out 'c' and 'k' separately
- Confusing -ick with -ack or -eck when reading quickly
- Dropping consonants in blend words like 'stick' or 'trick'