-ut Word Family: Word List & Practice
-ut 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 8 kindergarten-level words plus 4 decodable sentences. Practice them out loud — the most common error is applying the -ut sound to the irregular word 'put'.
- but
- cut
- gut
- hut
- jut
- nut
- shut
- strut
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.
- Cut the nut, but shut the hut.
- The hut had a jut and a gut.
- Strut to the hut, then shut it.
- But the nut is not cut.
How to Teach -ut Word Family Words
The -ut family includes 'but' and 'cut,' two very high-frequency words that appear on nearly every page of an early reader, so this family deserves extra repetition even after your child seems to have it down. 'Nut' and 'hut' are similarly common and concrete, giving an easy, motivating word list overall.
One irregular word worth mentioning separately is 'put,' which looks like it belongs in this family but is actually pronounced with the 'oo' sound found in 'book' rather than the short u in 'but.' Point this out directly as an exception rather than letting your child discover the mismatch on their own and lose confidence in the pattern.
Common Mistakes to Watch For
- Applying the -ut sound to the irregular word 'put'
- Confusing short u with short o
- Dropping consonants in the blend word 'strut'