Phonics word list
Aw words
In short
Aw is a vowel team that spells /aw/, as in saw, draw and lawn. It usually comes at the end of a word or before n, l or k. Our checked list has 128 words where aw says /aw/.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 128
- By syllables
- one syllable: 73 · two syllables: 47 · three or more syllables: 8
- Taught in
- Lesson 93 in the sequence
Aw words, most common first
Spelling units show how each word breaks into the letters that spell one sound; a_e is a vowel and silent e working together. Readable after is the first lesson where a student can sound out the whole word.
One syllable
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| law | l·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| saw | s·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| draw | d·r·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| laws | l·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| drawn | d·r·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| draws | d·r·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| dawn | d·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| flaw | f·l·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| lawn | l·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| yawn | y·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| crawl | c·r·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| flaws | f·l·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| straw | s·t·r·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| crawls | c·r·aw·l·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| flawed | f·l·aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| crawled | c·r·aw·l·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| awe | aw·e | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| caw | c·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| jaw | j·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| paw | p·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| awed | aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| bawl | b·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| claw | c·l·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| fawn | f·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| gawk | g·aw·k | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| gnaw | gn·aw | 1 | Lesson 118 |
| hawk | h·aw·k | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| jaws | j·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| pawn | p·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| paws | p·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| saws | s·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| thaw | th·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| bawls | b·aw·l·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| brawl | b·r·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| brawn | b·r·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| claws | c·l·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| dawns | d·aw·n·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| drawl | d·r·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| gnaws | gn·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 118 |
| hawks | h·aw·k·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| jawed | j·aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| lawns | l·aw·n·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| pawed | p·aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| pawns | p·aw·n·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| prawn | p·r·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| sawed | s·aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| shawl | sh·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| spawn | s·p·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| thaws | th·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| yawns | y·aw·n·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| bawled | b·aw·l·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| brawls | b·r·aw·l·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| clawed | c·l·aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| dawned | d·aw·n·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| drawls | d·r·aw·l·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| gnawed | gn·aw·ed | 1 | Lesson 118 |
| hawked | h·aw·k·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| pawned | p·aw·n·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| prawns | p·r·aw·n·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| scrawl | s·c·r·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| awful | aw·f·u·l | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| awkward | aw·k·w·ar·d | 2 | Lesson 111 |
| drawing | d·r·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| withdraw | w·i·th·d·r·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| lawyer | l·aw·y·er | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| lawyers | l·aw·y·er·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| crawling | c·r·aw·l·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drawback | d·r·aw·b·a·ck | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drawings | d·r·aw·i·ng·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drawbacks | d·r·aw·b·a·ck·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| withdrawn | w·i·th·d·r·aw·n | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| withdraws | w·i·th·d·r·aw·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| gawky | g·aw·k·y | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| brawny | b·r·aw·n·y | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| jigsaw | j·i·g·s·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| lawful | l·aw·f·u·l | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| outlaw | ou·t·l·aw | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| pawing | p·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| redraw | r·e·d·r·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| sawing | s·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| seesaw | s·ee·s·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| awesome | aw·e·s·o·m·e | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| clawing | c·l·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| dawning | d·aw·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| fawning | f·aw·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| foresaw | f·ore·s·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| gawking | g·aw·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| gnawing | gn·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 118 |
| hacksaw | h·a·ck·s·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| hawking | h·aw·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| jawbone | j·aw·b·o_e·n | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| lawless | l·aw·l·e·ss | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| lawsuit | l·aw·s·ui·t | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| outlaws | ou·t·l·aw·s | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| sawdust | s·aw·d·u·s·t | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| thawing | th·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| yawning | y·aw·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| brawling | b·r·aw·l·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| chainsaw | ch·ai·n·s·aw | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| flawless | f·l·aw·l·e·ss | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| lawsuits | l·aw·s·ui·t·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| outlawed | ou·t·l·aw·ed | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| seesawed | s·ee·s·aw·ed | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| spawning | s·p·aw·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| sprawling | s·p·r·aw·l·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| squawking | s·qu·aw·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drawbridge | d·r·aw·b·r·i·dge | 2 | Lesson 93 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| awfully | aw·f·u·ll·y | 3 | Lesson 93 |
| withdrawal | w·i·th·d·r·aw·a·l | 3 | Lesson 93 |
| withdrawing | w·i·th·d·r·aw·i·ng | 3 | Lesson 93 |
| unlawful | u·n·l·aw·f·u·l | 3 | Lesson 93 |
| awkwardly | aw·k·w·ar·d·l·y | 3 | Lesson 111 |
| flawlessly | f·l·aw·l·e·ss·l·y | 3 | Lesson 93 |
| awkwardness | aw·k·w·ar·d·n·e·ss | 3 | Lesson 111 |
| withdrawals | w·i·th·d·r·aw·a·l·s | 3 | Lesson 93 |
When do these words become readable?
The lessons where the most words on this page become decodable. Words marked not in the sequence have a spelling the sequence never teaches as a pattern.
| Readable after | Words |
|---|---|
| Lesson 93 | 118 |
| Lesson 96 | 3 |
| Lesson 111 | 3 |
| Lesson 118 | 4 |
How do you teach aw words?
Teach aw with au. "Aw says /aw/, usually at the end." Read saw, paw, jaw, draw, then lawn, yawn, crawl, hawk. Ask the student to underline the team and blend it as one sound.
What mistake do students make with aw words?
Students read aw as /ă/ /w/. Underline the team. In spelling, au and aw get swapped; position helps.
Where do aw words come in the sequence?
Aw is taught with au and augh. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 93.
Exceptions worth knowing
Awake and away have a and w in separate syllables. Awkward has aw in an unstressed position for some speakers.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 93 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- I saw the hawk.
- Draw a paw.
- The fawn is on the lawn.
Questions people ask
What are 5 aw words?
What sound does aw make?
What are common aw words?
When can a student read aw words?
How this list was built
Every word comes from our lexicon of common English words, each split into spelling units and checked against a pronouncing dictionary, so a word is listed under the sound its spelling really makes. Words a student sees in our assessments are left out. The readable after lesson comes from our decodability engine, which checks each spelling unit and syllable pattern against the lesson sequence. You can run your own text through the same engine with the free decodable text checker.