-imp Word Family: Word List & Practice
-imp 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 5 grade 1-level words plus 4 decodable sentences. Practice them out loud — the most common error is pausing awkwardly between the m and p instead of blending smoothly.
- limp
- blimp
- shrimp
- skimp
- wimp
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.
- The limp blimp will not skimp.
- A shrimp is not a wimp.
- Skimp on the limp blimp.
- The wimp saw a shrimp.
How to Teach -imp Word Family Words
The -imp family is small and mostly made up of blend words, so it works best as a stretch challenge once your child is already comfortable with -amp and -ump — comparing all three side by side ('camp,' 'limp,' 'jump') shows how the same 'mp' ending pattern holds steady across every short vowel.
'Shrimp' is a fun standout word for kids because it names a real animal and stacks an unusually long three-consonant beginning blend ('shr') in front of the ending — reading it successfully is a genuine milestone worth pointing out and celebrating.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Pausing awkwardly between the m and p instead of blending smoothly
- Dropping consonants in the beginning blend of 'shrimp' or 'blimp'
- Confusing -imp with -ump