Phonics word list

Kn words

In short

In kn words the k is silent and kn says /n/, as in knee, know and knock. Kn only appears at the start of a word or word part. Our checked list has 44 words where kn says /n/.

At a glance

Words in our list: 44
By syllables: one syllable: 24 · two syllables: 18 · three or more syllables: 2
By position: initial: 43 · medial: 1 · final: 0
Taught in: Lesson 98 in the sequence

Kn 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

24 words, most common first.

One syllable
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
knew	kn·ew	1	Lesson 98
know	kn·ow	1	Lesson 98
knock	kn·o·ck	1	Lesson 98
known	kn·ow·n	1	Lesson 98
knows	kn·ow·s	1	Lesson 98
knocks	kn·o·ck·s	1	Lesson 98
knocked	kn·o·ck·ed	1	Lesson 98
knee	kn·ee	1	Lesson 98
knees	kn·ee·s	1	Lesson 98
knife	kn·i_e·f	1	Lesson 98
knight	kn·igh·t	1	Lesson 98
knit	kn·i·t	1	Lesson 98
knot	kn·o·t	1	Lesson 98
knack	kn·a·ck	1	Lesson 98
knead	kn·ea·d	1	Lesson 98
kneed	kn·e·ed	1	Lesson 98
kneel	kn·ee·l	1	Lesson 98
knelt	kn·e·l·t	1	Lesson 98
knits	kn·i·t·s	1	Lesson 98
knoll	kn·o·ll	1	Lesson 98
knots	kn·o·t·s	1	Lesson 98
knacks	kn·a·ck·s	1	Lesson 98
knifed	kn·i·f·ed	1	Lesson 98
knights	kn·igh·t·s	1	Lesson 98

Two syllables

18 words, most common first.

Two syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
knowing	kn·ow·i·ng	2	Lesson 98
unknown	u·n·kn·ow·n	2	Lesson 98
knocking	kn·o·ck·i·ng	2	Lesson 98
knowledge	kn·o·w·l·e·dge	2	Not in the sequence
knotty	kn·o·tt·y	2	Lesson 98
kneecap	kn·ee·c·a·p	2	Lesson 98
kneeing	kn·ee·i·ng	2	Lesson 98
knifing	kn·i·f·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
knitted	kn·i·tt·ed	2	Lesson 107
knotted	kn·o·tt·ed	2	Lesson 107
kneading	kn·ea·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 98
kneecaps	kn·ee·c·a·p·s	2	Lesson 98
kneeling	kn·ee·l·i·ng	2	Lesson 98
knighted	kn·igh·t·ed	2	Lesson 98
knitting	kn·i·tt·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
knockout	kn·o·ck·ou·t	2	Lesson 98
knockouts	kn·o·ck·ou·t·s	2	Lesson 98
knighthood	kn·igh·t·h·oo·d	2	Lesson 98

Three or more syllables

2 words, most common first.

Three or more syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
knowingly	kn·ow·i·ng·l·y	3	Lesson 98
knowledgeable	kn·o·w·l·e·dge·a·b·le	4	Not in the sequence

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.

Lessons where the most words on this page become readable
Readable after	Words
Lesson 98	38
Lesson 107	3
Lesson 109	1
Not in the sequence	2

How do you teach kn words?

Tell the history in one line; it makes the k stick. "Long ago people said the /k/ in knee. The sound went away, but the spelling stayed." Read kn words as a short set: knee, knit, knot, knock, know, knife. Since the sound gives no clue, practice spelling by meaning groups (knee, kneel; know, knowledge).

What mistake do students make with kn words?

Students read the k aloud (/k/-nock) or leave it off in spelling (nock). In reading, cover the k and ask what's left. In spelling, the list is short enough to drill with a quick card review. Point out that the word families share the k: know, known, knowledge.

Where do kn words come in the sequence?

Kn is usually taught with wr and mb in one lesson on silent letters, late in the phonics sequence. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 98.

Exceptions worth knowing

Kn never says /k/ /n/ inside an English base word. In compounds like doorknob, kn still starts the second word part. Some names keep the old sound in other languages.

Decodable sentences

Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 98 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.

I know how to knit.
Knock on the shed with your fist.
The knife is in the box.

Questions people ask

What are 5 kn words?

Knew, know, knock, known, knows. Those are the five most common of the 44 words where kn says /n/ in our checked list.

Why is the k silent in knee?

English speakers used to pronounce the k. The sound dropped out hundreds of years ago, but the spelling never changed.

What are common kn words?

Know, knew, knee, knock, knife, knot, knit, knight and knowledge.

When can a student read kn words?

Kn words are taught at Lesson 98 in the lesson sequence we use. 38 of the 44 words on this page can be sounded out by then; the rest wait for a pattern taught later, and the tables show the lesson for each word.

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.