Phonics word list
Ey words
In short
Ey says long e, /ē/, at the end of words like key, money and monkey, and long a, /ā/, in they, obey and grey. Our checked list has 53 words with ey.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 53
- By syllables
- one syllable: 8 · two syllables: 35 · three or more syllables: 10
- Taught in
- Lesson 85 in the sequence
One spelling, more than one sound
Most lists mix these up. We count each sound separately, so a student practicing one sound only sees words that make it.
| Sound | Example | Words | List |
|---|---|---|---|
| /ē/ | key | 32 | This page |
| /ā/ | they | 22 | This page |
Ey 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 | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| key | k·ey | 1 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keys | k·ey·s | 1 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| they | th·ey | 1 | /ā/ | Lesson 17 (heart word) |
| hey | h·ey | 1 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| keyed | k·ey·ed | 1 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| prey | p·r·ey | 1 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| preys | p·r·ey·s | 1 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| preyed | p·r·ey·ed | 1 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| obey | o·b·ey | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| money | m·o·n·ey | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| survey | s·ur·v·ey | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| keyboard | k·ey·b·oar·d | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| honey | h·o·n·ey | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| obeys | o·b·ey·s | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| convey | c·o·n·v·ey | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| keying | k·ey·i·ng | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| kidney | k·i·d·n·ey | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| monkey | m·o·n·k·ey | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| obeyed | o·b·ey·ed | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| valley | v·a·ll·ey | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keyword | k·ey·w·or·d | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| monkeys | m·o·n·k·ey·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| surveys | s·ur·v·ey·s | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| trolley | t·r·o·ll·ey | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keywords | k·ey·w·or·d·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keyboards | k·ey·b·oar·d·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keystroke | k·ey·s·t·r·o_e·k | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keystrokes | k·ey·s·t·r·o_e·k·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| heyday | h·ey·d·ay | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| honeys | h·o·n·ey·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| conveys | c·o·n·v·ey·s | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| keyhole | k·ey·h·o_e·l | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keynote | k·ey·n·o_e·t | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| kidneys | k·i·d·n·ey·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| preying | p·r·ey·i·ng | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| valleys | v·a·ll·ey·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| conveyed | c·o·n·v·ey·ed | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| keyholes | k·ey·h·o_e·l·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keynotes | k·ey·n·o_e·t·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keystone | k·ey·s·t·o_e·n | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| surveyed | s·ur·v·ey·ed | 2 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| trolleys | t·r·o·ll·ey·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| keystones | k·ey·s·t·o_e·n·s | 2 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| obeying | o·b·ey·i·ng | 3 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| attorney | a·tt·or·n·ey | 3 | /ē/ | Lesson 111 |
| attorneys | a·tt·or·n·ey·s | 3 | /ē/ | Lesson 111 |
| surveyor | s·ur·v·ey·or | 3 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| conveying | c·o·n·v·ey·i·ng | 3 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| monkeying | m·o·n·k·ey·i·ng | 3 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| surveying | s·ur·v·ey·i·ng | 3 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| surveyors | s·ur·v·ey·or·s | 3 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
| keyboarding | k·ey·b·oar·d·i·ng | 3 | /ē/ | Lesson 85 |
| disobeying | d·i·s·o·b·ey·i·ng | 4 | /ā/ | Lesson 114 |
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 85 | 29 |
| Lesson 111 | 2 |
| Lesson 114 | 22 |
How do you teach ey words?
Teach ey /ē/ with ee and ea, and ey /ā/ later with eigh. "Ey at the end often says /ē/: key, money." Then show the /ā/ group: they, obey, survey. They is a heart word for most students long before ey is taught.
What mistake do students make with ey words?
Students spell money as mony or monee. Teach a small family: money, honey, monkey, donkey, turkey, valley. In reading, they and obey get the /ē/ sound; prompt the flex.
Where do ey words come in the sequence?
Ey /ē/ is taught with ee and ea. Ey /ā/ comes much later. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 85.
Exceptions worth knowing
Eye is a common word with ey that says /ī/. In words like keyboard, key starts a compound.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 85 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- They have a key.
- The monkey ate my honey.
- Obey the rules.
Questions people ask
What are 5 ey words?
What sounds does ey make?
Why is they spelled with ey?
When can a student read ey 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.