Phonics word list
DR blend words
In short
Dr is an r blend: d and r together at the start of a word, both heard, as in drum, drip and drive. Our checked list has 140 words that start with the dr blend.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 140
- By syllables
- one syllable: 70 · two syllables: 66 · three or more syllables: 4
- Taught in
- Lesson 35c in the sequence
Dr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| dry | d·r·y | 1 | Lesson 73 |
| draw | d·r·aw | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| drew | d·r·ew | 1 | Lesson 91 |
| drop | d·r·o·p | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drawn | d·r·aw·n | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| draws | d·r·aw·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| dream | d·r·ea·m | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| drink | d·r·i·n·k | 1 | Lesson 52 |
| drive | d·r·i_e·v | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| drops | d·r·o·p·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drove | d·r·o_e·v | 1 | Lesson 56 |
| drives | d·r·i_e·v·s | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| dropped | d·r·o·pp·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| drag | d·r·a·g | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drip | d·r·i·p | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drum | d·r·u·m | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| draft | d·r·a·f·t | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drags | d·r·a·g·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drain | d·r·ai·n | 1 | Lesson 84 |
| drank | d·r·a·n·k | 1 | Lesson 52 |
| dread | d·r·ea·d | 1 | Lesson 94 |
| dress | d·r·e·ss | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| dried | d·r·i·ed | 1 | Lesson 110 |
| dries | d·r·ie·s | 1 | Lesson 110 |
| drift | d·r·i·f·t | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drill | d·r·i·ll | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| drips | d·r·i·p·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drown | d·r·ow·n | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| drums | d·r·u·m·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drafts | d·r·a·f·t·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drains | d·r·ai·n·s | 1 | Lesson 84 |
| dreads | d·r·ea·d·s | 1 | Lesson 94 |
| dreams | d·r·ea·m·s | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| drinks | d·r·i·n·k·s | 1 | Lesson 52 |
| drowns | d·r·ow·n·s | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| dragged | d·r·a·gg·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| drained | d·r·ai·n·ed | 1 | Lesson 84 |
| dressed | d·r·e·ss·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| dripped | d·r·i·pp·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| drowned | d·r·ow·n·ed | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| drab | d·r·a·b | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drabs | d·r·a·b·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drape | d·r·a_e·p | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| drawl | d·r·aw·l | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| dregs | d·r·e·g·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| droll | d·r·o·ll | 1 | Lesson 43 |
| drone | d·r·o_e·n | 1 | Lesson 56 |
| drool | d·r·oo·l | 1 | Lesson 90 |
| droop | d·r·oo·p | 1 | Lesson 90 |
| dross | d·r·o·ss | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| draped | d·r·a·p·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| drapes | d·r·a_e·p·s | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| drawls | d·r·aw·l·s | 1 | Lesson 93 |
| dredge | d·r·e·dge | 1 | Lesson 70 |
| drench | d·r·e·n·ch | 1 | Lesson 48 |
| drifts | d·r·i·f·t·s | 1 | Lesson 24 |
| drills | d·r·i·ll·s | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| droned | d·r·o_e·n·d | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| drones | d·r·o_e·n·s | 1 | Lesson 56 |
| droves | d·r·o_e·v·s | 1 | Lesson 56 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| driven | d·r·i·v·e·n | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| driver | d·r·i·v·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| drastic | d·r·a·s·t·i·c | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| drawing | d·r·aw·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drivers | d·r·i·v·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| driving | d·r·i·v·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| dropping | d·r·o·pp·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| drama | d·r·a·m·a | 2 | Lesson 94 |
| dragon | d·r·a·g·o·n | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| dreary | d·r·ear·y | 2 | Lesson 113 |
| drivel | d·r·i·v·e·l | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| drying | d·r·y·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 73 |
| drafted | d·r·a·f·t·ed | 2 | Lesson 64 |
| dreaded | d·r·ea·d·ed | 2 | Lesson 94 |
| dresses | d·r·e·ss·es | 2 | Lesson 63 |
| drafting | d·r·a·f·t·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| dragging | d·r·a·gg·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| draining | d·r·ai·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 84 |
| drawback | d·r·aw·b·a·ck | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drawings | d·r·aw·i·ng·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| dreadful | d·r·ea·d·f·u·l | 2 | Lesson 94 |
| dreading | d·r·ea·d·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 94 |
| dreaming | d·r·ea·m·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| dressing | d·r·e·ss·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| drinking | d·r·i·n·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| dripping | d·r·i·pp·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| drowning | d·r·ow·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| drawbacks | d·r·aw·b·a·ck·s | 2 | Lesson 93 |
| drier | d·r·i·er | 2 | Lesson 110 |
| dryer | d·r·y·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| dramas | d·r·a·m·a·s | 2 | Lesson 94 |
| dreamy | d·r·ea·m·y | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| dressy | d·r·e·ss·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| driest | d·r·i·e·s·t | 2 | Lesson 110 |
| dryers | d·r·y·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| dragons | d·r·a·g·o·n·s | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| draping | d·r·a·p·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| dreamer | d·r·ea·m·er | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| dredges | d·r·e·dge·s | 2 | Lesson 70 |
| dresser | d·r·e·ss·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| drifted | d·r·i·f·t·ed | 2 | Lesson 64 |
| drinker | d·r·i·n·k·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| droning | d·r·o·n·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| dropout | d·r·o·p·ou·t | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| drummer | d·r·u·mm·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| dryness | d·r·y·n·e·ss | 2 | Lesson 73 |
| dreamers | d·r·ea·m·er·s | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| dredging | d·r·e·dg·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| drenches | d·r·e·n·ch·es | 2 | Lesson 63 |
| dressers | d·r·e·ss·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| drifting | d·r·i·f·t·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| drilling | d·r·i·ll·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| drinkers | d·r·i·n·k·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| driveway | d·r·i_e·v·w·ay | 2 | Lesson 84 |
| drooling | d·r·oo·l·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 90 |
| drooping | d·r·oo·p·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 90 |
| dropouts | d·r·o·p·ou·t·s | 2 | Lesson 96 |
| drummers | d·r·u·mm·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| drumming | d·r·u·mm·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| drenching | d·r·e·n·ch·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| dramatic | d·r·a·m·a·t·i·c | 3 | Lesson 67b |
| dramatically | d·r·a·m·a·t·i·c·a·ll·y | 5 | Lesson 74 |
| dressier | d·r·e·ss·i·er | 3 | Lesson 110 |
| dreadfully | d·r·ea·d·f·u·ll·y | 3 | Lesson 94 |
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 dr words?
Say dr slowly and have the student copy. "Rum. Add /d/. Drum." In fast speech dr sounds close to /j/, so practice drum against jump, drag against jog, and point out the spelling.
What mistake do students make with dr words?
Spelling dr as jr (jrum) or gr is common and shows good listening. Tell the student, "It sounds like /j/, but we write d and r." Do a quick dr and j sort.
Where do dr words come in the sequence?
Dr is taught with the other r blends. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.
Exceptions worth knowing
In address and hundred, d and r cross a syllable break but still blend. Dr is also the abbreviation for doctor, which students see on signs.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 35c or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- The drum is in the den.
- Drip the mud in the bin.
- Drop the cup on the mat.
Questions people ask
What are 5 dr words?
Why does dr sound like j?
What are some dr words?
When can a student read dr 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.