Phonics word list

Long o words

In short

Long o is the vowel sound in go, home, boat and snow, written /ō/. English spells it o, o_e, oa, ow, and less often oe or ough. Our checked list has 1,395 words with the long o sound.

At a glance

Words in our list: 1,395
By syllables: one syllable: 386 · two syllables: 610 · three or more syllables: 399
Taught in: Lesson 86 in the sequence

Long o 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.

o on its own (go, no)

The 40 most common of 719 words. 679 more are in our list.

o on its own (go, no)
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
go	g·o	1	Lesson 16 (heart word)
no	n·o	1	Lesson 16 (heart word)
oh	o·h	1	Not in the sequence
so	s·o	1	Lesson 16 (heart word)
old	o·l·d	1	Lesson 72
both	b·o·th	1	Lesson 68
cold	c·o·l·d	1	Lesson 72
folk	f·o·l·k	1	Not in the sequence
hold	h·o·l·d	1	Lesson 72
host	h·o·s·t	1	Lesson 72
most	m·o·s·t	1	Lesson 72
poll	p·o·ll	1	Lesson 43
post	p·o·s·t	1	Lesson 72
roll	r·o·ll	1	Lesson 43
sold	s·o·l·d	1	Lesson 72
told	t·o·l·d	1	Lesson 72
folks	f·o·l·k·s	1	Not in the sequence
gross	g·r·o·ss	1	Lesson 68
holds	h·o·l·d·s	1	Lesson 72
hoped	h·o·p·ed	1	Lesson 64
posts	p·o·s·t·s	1	Lesson 72
ago	a·g·o	2	Lesson 68
also	a·l·s·o	2	Lesson 93
info	i·n·f·o	2	Lesson 68
obey	o·b·ey	2	Lesson 114
omit	o·m·i·t	2	Lesson 68
only	o·n·l·y	2	Lesson 39b (heart word)
open	o·p·e·n	2	Lesson 68
over	o·v·er	2	Lesson 80
poem	p·o·e·m	2	Lesson 68
poet	p·o·e·t	2	Lesson 68
zero	z·e·r·o	2	Not in the sequence
coded	c·o·d·ed	2	Lesson 64
going	g·o·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
hello	h·e·ll·o	2	Lesson 68
hotel	h·o·t·e·l	2	Lesson 68
local	l·o·c·a·l	2	Lesson 68
noted	n·o·t·ed	2	Lesson 64
older	o·l·d·er	2	Lesson 80
omits	o·m·i·t·s	2	Lesson 68

o_e (code, cope)

The 40 most common of 305 words. 265 more are in our list.

o_e (code, cope)
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
code	c·o_e·d	1	Lesson 56
cope	c·o_e·p	1	Lesson 56
hole	h·o_e·l	1	Lesson 56
home	h·o_e·m	1	Lesson 56
hope	h·o_e·p	1	Lesson 56
joke	j·o_e·k	1	Lesson 56
mode	m·o_e·d	1	Lesson 56
note	n·o_e·t	1	Lesson 56
role	r·o_e·l	1	Lesson 56
vote	v·o_e·t	1	Lesson 56
broke	b·r·o_e·k	1	Lesson 56
chose	ch·o_e·s	1	Lesson 56
close	c·l·o_e·s	1	Lesson 56
codes	c·o_e·d·s	1	Lesson 56
drove	d·r·o_e·v	1	Lesson 56
holes	h·o_e·l·s	1	Lesson 56
hopes	h·o_e·p·s	1	Lesson 56
notes	n·o_e·t·s	1	Lesson 56
phone	ph·o_e·n	1	Lesson 56
prone	p·r·o_e·n	1	Lesson 56
quote	qu·o_e·t	1	Lesson 56
spoke	s·p·o_e·k	1	Lesson 56
stone	s·t·o_e·n	1	Lesson 56
those	th·o_e·s	1	Lesson 56
votes	v·o_e·t·s	1	Lesson 56
whole	wh·o_e·l	1	Not in the sequence
wrote	wr·o_e·t	1	Lesson 98
closed	c·l·o_e·s·d	1	Lesson 56
quotes	qu·o_e·t·s	1	Lesson 56
stones	s·t·o_e·n·s	1	Lesson 56
alone	a·l·o_e·n	2	Lesson 68
devote	d·e·v·o_e·t	2	Lesson 67b
impose	i·m·p·o_e·s	2	Lesson 67b
oppose	o·pp·o_e·s	2	Lesson 68
remote	r·e·m·o_e·t	2	Lesson 67b
closely	c·l·o_e·s·l·y	2	Lesson 74
compose	c·o·m·p·o_e·s	2	Lesson 67b
devotes	d·e·v·o_e·t·s	2	Lesson 67b
imposed	i·m·p·o_e·s·d	2	Lesson 67b
opposed	o·pp·o_e·s·d	2	Lesson 68

oa (boat, load)

The 40 most common of 171 words. 131 more are in our list.

oa (boat, load)
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
boat	b·oa·t	1	Lesson 86
load	l·oa·d	1	Lesson 86
loan	l·oa·n	1	Lesson 86
road	r·oa·d	1	Lesson 86
float	f·l·oa·t	1	Lesson 86
loads	l·oa·d·s	1	Lesson 86
floats	f·l·oa·t·s	1	Lesson 86
loaded	l·oa·d·ed	2	Lesson 86
floated	f·l·oa·t·ed	2	Lesson 86
loading	l·oa·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 86
approach	a·pp·r·oa·ch	2	Lesson 86
floating	f·l·oa·t·i·ng	2	Lesson 86
coal	c·oa·l	1	Lesson 86
coat	c·oa·t	1	Lesson 86
foam	f·oa·m	1	Lesson 86
goal	g·oa·l	1	Lesson 86
goat	g·oa·t	1	Lesson 86
moan	m·oa·n	1	Lesson 86
soap	s·oa·p	1	Lesson 86
toad	t·oa·d	1	Lesson 86
boats	b·oa·t·s	1	Lesson 86
coach	c·oa·ch	1	Lesson 86
coast	c·oa·s·t	1	Lesson 86
coats	c·oa·t·s	1	Lesson 86
goals	g·oa·l·s	1	Lesson 86
groan	g·r·oa·n	1	Lesson 86
loans	l·oa·n·s	1	Lesson 86
moans	m·oa·n·s	1	Lesson 86
roads	r·oa·d·s	1	Lesson 86
toast	t·oa·s·t	1	Lesson 86
moaned	m·oa·n·ed	1	Lesson 86
throat	th·r·oa·t	1	Lesson 86
throats	th·r·oa·t·s	1	Lesson 86
loader	l·oa·d·er	2	Lesson 86
unload	u·n·l·oa·d	2	Lesson 86
moaning	m·oa·n·i·ng	2	Lesson 86
railroad	r·ai·l·r·oa·d	2	Lesson 86
workload	w·or·k·l·oa·d	2	Lesson 86
crossroad	c·r·o·ss·r·oa·d	2	Lesson 86
approached	a·pp·r·oa·ch·ed	2	Lesson 86

ow (low, owe)

The 40 most common of 169 words. 129 more are in our list.

ow (low, owe)
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
low	l·ow	1	Lesson 86
owe	ow·e	1	Lesson 86
own	ow·n	1	Lesson 86
row	r·ow	1	Lesson 86
blow	b·l·ow	1	Lesson 86
flow	f·l·ow	1	Lesson 86
grow	g·r·ow	1	Lesson 86
know	kn·ow	1	Lesson 98
owed	ow·ed	1	Lesson 86
owes	ow·e·s	1	Lesson 86
show	sh·ow	1	Lesson 86
slow	s·l·ow	1	Lesson 86
flown	f·l·ow·n	1	Lesson 86
grown	g·r·ow·n	1	Lesson 86
grows	g·r·ow·s	1	Lesson 86
known	kn·ow·n	1	Lesson 98
knows	kn·ow·s	1	Lesson 98
shown	sh·ow·n	1	Lesson 86
shows	sh·ow·s	1	Lesson 86
throw	th·r·ow	1	Lesson 86
growth	g·r·ow·th	1	Lesson 86
showed	sh·ow·ed	1	Lesson 86
thrown	th·r·ow·n	1	Lesson 86
throws	th·r·ow·s	1	Lesson 86
below	b·e·l·ow	2	Lesson 86
lower	l·ow·er	2	Lesson 86
owing	ow·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
owner	ow·n·er	2	Lesson 86
borrow	b·o·rr·ow	2	Lesson 86
follow	f·o·ll·ow	2	Lesson 86
lowest	l·ow·e·s·t	2	Lesson 86
owners	ow·n·er·s	2	Lesson 86
slower	s·l·ow·er	2	Lesson 86
slowly	s·l·ow·l·y	2	Lesson 86
window	w·i·n·d·ow	2	Lesson 86
yellow	y·e·ll·ow	2	Lesson 86
borrows	b·o·rr·ow·s	2	Lesson 86
follows	f·o·ll·ow·s	2	Lesson 86
growing	g·r·ow·i·ng	2	Lesson 86
knowing	kn·ow·i·ng	2	Lesson 98

oe, ough (doe, goes)

31 words, most common first.

oe, ough (doe, goes)
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
doe	d·oe	1	Lesson 86
goes	g·oe·s	1	Lesson 32 (heart word)
though	th·ough	1	Lesson 116
although	a·l·th·ough	2	Lesson 116
thoroughly	th·or·ough·l·y	3	Lesson 116
toe	t·oe	1	Lesson 86
toes	t·oe·s	1	Lesson 86
echoes	e·ch·oe·s	2	Lesson 118
heroes	h·e·r·oe·s	2	Not in the sequence
thorough	th·or·ough	2	Lesson 116
potatoes	p·o·t·a·t·oe·s	3	Lesson 68
tomatoes	t·o·m·a·t·oe·s	3	Lesson 68
undergoes	u·n·d·er·g·oe·s	3	Lesson 80
thoroughfare	th·or·ough·f·are	3	Lesson 116
thoroughfares	th·or·ough·f·are·s	3	Lesson 116
foe	f·oe	1	Lesson 86
roe	r·oe	1	Lesson 86
woe	w·oe	1	Lesson 86
foes	f·oe·s	1	Lesson 86
noes	n·oe·s	1	Lesson 63
roes	r·oe·s	1	Lesson 86
woes	w·oe·s	1	Lesson 86
dough	d·ough	1	Lesson 116
tiptoe	t·i·p·t·oe	2	Lesson 86
toeing	t·oe·i·ng	2	Lesson 86
cargoes	c·ar·g·oe·s	2	Lesson 77
forgoes	f·or·g·oe·s	2	Lesson 78
toenail	t·oe·n·ai·l	2	Lesson 86
doughnut	d·ough·n·u·t	2	Lesson 116
toenails	t·oe·n·ai·l·s	2	Lesson 86
doughnuts	d·ough·n·u·t·s	2	Lesson 116

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 56	131
Lesson 67b	68
Lesson 68	179
Lesson 72	79
Lesson 80	83
Lesson 86	338
Lesson 109	70
Lesson 119	47
Not in the sequence	85

How do you teach long o words?

Start with open o (go, no, so) and o_e. Then teach oa in the middle of words (boat, road) and ow at the end (snow, grow). "Oa likes the middle; ow likes the end." Show the -old and -ost words (cold, most) as their own small family, since the o is long without a second vowel.

What mistake do students make with long o words?

In spelling, students write ow in the middle (bowt for boat). Position helps. In reading, ow is the trap: it also says /ow/ in cow. Teach both sounds and the flex: "Try /ō/; if it isn't a word, try /ow/."

Where do long o words come in the sequence?

Open o and o_e come first. The -old and -ost words come next. Oa, ow and oe come with the vowel teams. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 86.

Exceptions worth knowing

Though and dough spell /ō/ with ough. Sew uses ew. Some words with ow can be read both ways and mean different things (bow, row).

Decodable sentences

Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 86 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.

The goat is in the snow.
Go home on the road.
I hope the boat can float.

Questions people ask

What are 5 long o words?

Go, no, oh, so, doe. Those are the five most common of the 1,395 words with the long o sound in our checked list.

What are the ways to spell long o?

O (go), o_e (home), oa (boat), ow (snow), oe (toe) and ough (though).

How do you know if ow says long o or ow?

You can't tell from the spelling alone. Try /ō/ first, check whether it makes a word, then try /ow/. Bow and row can be either.

When can a student read long o words?

Long o words are taught at Lesson 86 in the lesson sequence we use. 1,060 of the 1,395 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.