Phonics word list
CR blend words
In short
Cr is an r blend: c says /k/ and r follows at the start of a word, as in crab, crop and cry. Our checked list has 214 words that start with the cr blend.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 214
- By syllables
- one syllable: 103 · two syllables: 89 · three or more syllables: 22
- Taught in
- Lesson 35c in the sequence
Cr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| cry | c·r·y | 1 | Lesson 73 |
| crash | c·r·a·sh | 1 | Lesson 45 |
| crisp | c·r·i·s·p | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| cross | c·r·o·ss | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| crisps | c·r·i·s·p·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crashed | c·r·a·sh·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| crew | c·r·ew | 1 | Lesson 91 |
| crop | c·r·o·p | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crack | c·r·a·ck | 1 | Lesson 44 |
| craft | c·r·a·f·t | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| cramp | c·r·a·m·p | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crass | c·r·a·ss | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| crawl | c·r·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| cream | c·r·ea·m | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| creed | c·r·ee·d | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| creep | c·r·ee·p | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| cried | c·r·i·ed | 1 | Lesson 110 |
| cries | c·r·ie·s | 1 | Lesson 110 |
| crime | c·r·i_e·m | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| crops | c·r·o·p·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crowd | c·r·ow·d | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| crown | c·r·ow·n | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| crude | c·r·u_e·d | 1 | Lesson 58 |
| cruel | c·r·ue·l | 1 | Lesson 91 |
| crush | c·r·u·sh | 1 | Lesson 45 |
| cracks | c·r·a·ck·s | 1 | Lesson 44 |
| cramps | c·r·a·m·p·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crawls | c·r·aw·l·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| crimes | c·r·i_e·m·s | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| crowds | c·r·ow·d·s | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| cruise | c·r·ui·s·e | 1 | Lesson 91 |
| crunch | c·r·u·n·ch | 1 | Lesson 48 |
| cracked | c·r·a·ck·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| cramped | c·r·a·m·p·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| crawled | c·r·aw·l·ed | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| crossed | c·r·o·ss·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| cruised | c·r·ui·s·ed | 1 | Lesson 91 |
| crushed | c·r·u·sh·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| crunched | c·r·u·n·ch·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| crab | c·r·a·b | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crag | c·r·a·g | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| cram | c·r·a·m | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crib | c·r·i·b | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crow | c·r·ow | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| crux | c·r·u·x | 1 | Lesson 31 |
| crabs | c·r·a·b·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crags | c·r·a·g·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crams | c·r·a·m·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crane | c·r·a_e·n | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| crank | c·r·a·n·k | 1 | Lesson 52 |
| crate | c·r·a_e·t | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| crave | c·r·a_e·v | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| craze | c·r·a_e·z | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| creak | c·r·ea·k | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| creek | c·r·ee·k | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| crepe | c·r·e·p·e | 1 | Not in the sequence |
| crept | c·r·e·p·t | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crest | c·r·e·s·t | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| crews | c·r·ew·s | 1 | Lesson 91 |
| cribs | c·r·i·b·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| crazy | c·r·a·z·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| create | c·r·e·a_e·t | 2 | Lesson 68 |
| credit | c·r·e·d·i·t | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| crisis | c·r·i·s·i·s | 2 | Lesson 68 |
| crashes | c·r·a·sh·es | 2 | Lesson 63 |
| creates | c·r·e·a_e·t·s | 2 | Lesson 68 |
| crashing | c·r·a·sh·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| creature | c·r·ea·ture | 2 | Lesson 120 |
| critic | c·r·i·t·i·c | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| crying | c·r·y·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 73 |
| credits | c·r·e·d·i·t·s | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| cricket | c·r·i·ck·e·t | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| critics | c·r·i·t·i·c·s | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| crosses | c·r·o·ss·es | 2 | Lesson 63 |
| crowded | c·r·ow·d·ed | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| crucial | c·r·u·ci·a·l | 2 | Lesson 119 |
| cruelty | c·r·ue·l·t·y | 2 | Lesson 91 |
| cruises | c·r·ui·s·e·s | 2 | Lesson 91 |
| crushes | c·r·u·sh·es | 2 | Lesson 63 |
| cryptic | c·r·y·p·t·i·c | 2 | Not in the sequence |
| crystal | c·r·y·s·t·a·l | 2 | Not in the sequence |
| cracking | c·r·a·ck·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| cramping | c·r·a·m·p·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| crawling | c·r·aw·l·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| crossing | c·r·o·ss·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| crowding | c·r·ow·d·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| cruising | c·r·ui·s·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| crunches | c·r·u·n·ch·es | 2 | Lesson 63 |
| crushing | c·r·u·sh·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| crystals | c·r·y·s·t·a·l·s | 2 | Not in the sequence |
| creatures | c·r·ea·ture·s | 2 | Lesson 120 |
| crossroad | c·r·o·ss·r·oa·d | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| crossword | c·r·o·ss·w·or·d | 2 | Lesson 82 |
| crunching | c·r·u·n·ch·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| crossroads | c·r·o·ss·r·oa·d·s | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| crabby | c·r·a·bb·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| crafty | c·r·a·f·t·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| craggy | c·r·a·gg·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| cranky | c·r·a·n·k·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| crater | c·r·a·t·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| creaky | c·r·ea·k·y | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| creamy | c·r·ea·m·y | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| creepy | c·r·ee·p·y | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| crispy | c·r·i·s·p·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| crusty | c·r·u·s·t·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| cracker | c·r·a·ck·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| crafted | c·r·a·f·t·ed | 2 | Lesson 64 |
| craters | c·r·a·t·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| crating | c·r·a·t·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| craving | c·r·a·v·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| crazies | c·r·a·z·ie·s | 2 | Lesson 110 |
| creases | c·r·ea·s·e·s | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| crested | c·r·e·s·t·ed | 2 | Lesson 64 |
| cringes | c·r·i·n·g·e·s | 2 | Lesson 61 |
| crisper | c·r·i·s·p·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| crisply | c·r·i·s·p·l·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| crooked | c·r·oo·k·ed | 2 | Lesson 89 |
| crosser | c·r·o·ss·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| crowbar | c·r·ow·b·ar | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| crowing | c·r·ow·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 86 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| created | c·r·e·a·t·ed | 3 | Lesson 68 |
| creating | c·r·e·a·t·i·ng | 3 | Lesson 109 |
| creation | c·r·e·a·tion | 3 | Lesson 119 |
| critical | c·r·i·t·i·c·a·l | 3 | Lesson 67b |
| creator | c·r·e·a·t·or | 3 | Lesson 111 |
| creative | c·r·e·a·t·i·v·e | 3 | Lesson 68 |
| credible | c·r·e·d·i·b·le | 3 | Lesson 75 |
| criminal | c·r·i·m·i·n·a·l | 3 | Lesson 67b |
| criminals | c·r·i·m·i·n·a·l·s | 3 | Lesson 67b |
| criteria | c·r·i·t·e·r·i·a | 4 | Not in the sequence |
| criterion | c·r·i·t·e·r·i·o·n | 4 | Not in the sequence |
| credibility | c·r·e·d·i·b·i·l·i·t·y | 5 | Lesson 74 |
| creamier | c·r·ea·m·i·er | 3 | Lesson 110 |
| creators | c·r·e·a·t·or·s | 3 | Lesson 111 |
| credited | c·r·e·d·i·t·ed | 3 | Lesson 67b |
| creditor | c·r·e·d·i·t·or | 3 | Lesson 111 |
| creamiest | c·r·ea·m·i·e·s·t | 3 | Lesson 110 |
| creations | c·r·e·a·tion·s | 3 | Lesson 119 |
| creditors | c·r·e·d·i·t·or·s | 3 | Lesson 111 |
| creatively | c·r·e·a·t·i·v·e·l·y | 4 | Lesson 74 |
| criminally | c·r·i·m·i·n·a·ll·y | 4 | Lesson 74 |
| critically | c·r·i·t·i·c·a·ll·y | 4 | Lesson 74 |
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.
How do you teach cr words?
Practice cr with a crunch gesture. "Rab. Add /k/. Crab." Build crib, crop, crust, crisp. Cr and kr sound the same; tell the student English writes cr at the start of words.
What mistake do students make with cr words?
Students write kr (krab) or drop the r. Praise the sound match, then show that kr is almost never used. For dropped r, tap the sounds.
Where do cr words come in the sequence?
Cr comes with the other r blends after short vowels. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.
Exceptions worth knowing
Scr is a three-letter blend that contains cr. In secret and sacred, c and r start the second syllable together.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 35c or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- The crab is in the crib.
- A crust is on the bun.
- The crop got wet.
Questions people ask
What are 5 cr words?
Is it cr or kr?
What are some cr words?
When can a student read cr 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.