The Dolch Noun List
All 95 nouns on Dolch's companion list — the concrete words that sit alongside the 220 graded sight words.
The 220 Dolch service words are almost entirely abstract: articles, pronouns, verbs, connectives. Dolch published a separate list of 95 nouns to go with them, and it is the part most people forget exists.
Unlike the graded lists, these are not assigned to a year. They are taught opportunistically from kindergarten through third grade, whenever one comes up. They are also the easiest sight words to teach, because every single one is a thing a child can see, draw or point at.
The list dates from 1936, which shows in places. Kitty, robin and Santa Claus are period pieces, and some schools quietly drop them. The list below is the canonical set as published.
The Dolch Nouns List (95 Words)
Words 1–10
Words 11–20
Words 21–30
Words 31–40
Words 41–50
Words 51–60
Words 61–70
Words 71–80
Words 81–90
Words 91–95
Practice these words now
A real SpellCrush session on 10 words from the Dolch Nouns list — each one read aloud with a picture, a definition and a hint. No account, nothing to print.
Start the 10-word session →The 10 words are drawn from 90 of the 95 on this page, so each visit drills a different set.
How to Teach the Dolch Nouns Words
Concrete nouns are the one part of sight word work where pictures are the right tool, so use them heavily.
- Picture cards. Word on one side, drawing on the other. The child draws them — making the card is half the learning.
- Label the house. Tape door, table, window, bed onto the real objects for a week.
- Sort into families. Animals, food, home, people, outdoors. Sorting forces the child to read every card twice.
- Pair them with the service words. The cat can run. Nouns give the graded lists something to talk about.
These are spelling words, not just reading words. Because they are concrete and regular, most children can spell Dolch nouns much earlier than they can spell words like because — so they are good early wins in a spelling test.
Where This List Fits
Before this
Dolch Third Grade
41 words, typically age 8-9.
What comes next
Spelling words for this stage
Patterns, word families and lists beyond sight words.
These words are taught alongside the spelling list for kindergarten to 3rd grade, and you can print any of them from the free worksheet generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Dolch noun list?
It is a list of 95 common nouns that Edward Dolch published alongside his 220 service words. The service words are abstract and graded by year; the nouns are concrete and are taught across all the early grades rather than assigned to one.
How many Dolch words are there in total?
315: the 220 graded service words across five lists, plus these 95 nouns. When people say a child has learned all the Dolch words, they usually mean the 220 rather than the full 315.
Are the Dolch nouns still relevant?
Mostly. A handful are dated, and some teachers replace Santa Claus, kitty or robin with more current words. The rest are as common in children's books today as they were in 1936.
When should my child learn the Dolch nouns?
Whenever they come up, from kindergarten through third grade. Many are so easy to picture that a child learns them long before their graded list would suggest.
Sight words that actually stick
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