Nonsense word tests: pros, cons and how to use them fairly

Why do reading tests use nonsense words?

Real words can be memorized. A student who has seen "cat" a hundred times may read it by sight without decoding. A made-up word has no memory to lean on, so the student has to turn each letter into a sound and blend the sounds into a word.

That makes made-up words a clean test of the alphabetic code. They are common in screeners for grades K to 2 and in diagnostic phonics surveys for any age.

What are the advantages?

• They isolate decoding from memory and from guessing with picture or context clues.
• They are fast. A one-minute task gives a usable score.
• They predict later reading well in the early grades.
• They show how the student decodes: sound by sound, or whole word at once.
• Older students often find them less embarrassing than easy real-word lists.

What are the drawbacks?

The biggest problem is what happens when scores matter too much. If teachers drill made-up words, students get faster at made-up words. That doesn't mean they read books better.

• Students can learn to read the sounds quickly without blending, which inflates some scoring methods.
• Some students try to turn made-up words into real ones ("fot" becomes "foot"). That can mean good word knowledge, not poor decoding.
• They measure only simple patterns, usually short vowels in short words.
• They say nothing about vocabulary or comprehension.
• English learners may find some made-up words sound like real words in their first language.

How should the score be read?

Look at two numbers if your test gives them: correct sounds and whole words read correctly. A student who gets many sounds right but few whole words is decoding sound by sound and not yet blending smoothly.

Are nonsense words still useful for older students?

Yes, in diagnostic surveys. A made-up multisyllable word shows whether a seventh grader can split and read an unfamiliar long word. That is the skill they need for science and social studies texts.

Explain the purpose before you start. Older students respect a test that's honest about what it measures, and they try harder when they know why it matters.

What should parents know about these tests?

If your child brings home a low score on a made-up word test, it doesn't mean they can't read. It means decoding unfamiliar words is still hard. Ask the teacher what pattern they will work on next and how you can help with real books at home.

It also helps to know that the test is short on purpose. One minute gives a quick picture, and the teacher will look at other information before making any decisions about your child's reading.

How are nonsense word tests scored?

Most timed versions give the student one minute to read a page of short made-up words. The tester counts correct sounds, and often counts whole words read correctly as a second score. Some tests give extra credit for reading the word as a unit instead of sound by sound, because blending is the skill that predicts later reading.

Diagnostic surveys usually aren't timed. They count correct words in each pattern section and note the errors, so the teacher can see which pattern to teach next.

Do nonsense word scores predict reading comprehension?

They predict it moderately well in kindergarten and first grade, when decoding is the main thing holding reading back. By third grade, oral reading of real passages predicts comprehension better, because it captures decoding, speed and some understanding at once. That shift is why many screeners drop made-up words after second grade.

How can teachers avoid teaching to the test?

• Teach decoding with real words in a clear sequence, and let the test check it.
• Use decodable texts so students apply patterns in sentences.
• Never send test pages home or use them as warm-ups.
• If scores rise fast while book reading stays weak, ask whether students learned the test format rather than the skill.

The goal is a student who can read new words in real books. A score is only useful if it reflects that.