-ip Word Family: Word List & Practice
-ip 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-level words plus 4 decodable sentences. Practice them out loud — the most common error is confusing 'ship' and 'chip' due to similar shapes.
- dip
- hip
- lip
- nip
- rip
- sip
- tip
- zip
- chip
- ship
- skip
- trip
- whip
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.
- Sip and dip the chip.
- Skip to the ship with a trip.
- Zip your lip and flip the tip.
- The whip can rip and nip.
How to Teach -ip Word Family Words
The -ip family has one of the largest and most varied word lists among the short-i families, giving a lot of runway for practice: plain words ('dip,' 'hip,' 'lip'), digraph words ('chip,' 'ship,' 'whip'), and blend words ('skip,' 'trip') are all represented. This variety makes -ip an excellent family for a mixed-review session once your child has separately learned digraphs and blends.
'Zip,' 'skip,' and 'trip' tend to be favorites because they connect to real actions a child can act out, which helps cement the word-to-meaning connection alongside the word-to-sound connection. Consider having your child physically skip across the room after reading the word 'skip' — movement paired with reading is a simple, effective way to reinforce new vocabulary.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Confusing 'ship' and 'chip' due to similar shapes
- Dropping a consonant in blends like 'skip' or 'trip'
- Reading 'whip' with the w sound omitted