Phonics word list
Oe words
In short
Oe is a vowel team that spells long o, /ō/, at the end of a few words, as in toe, foe and goes. It also shows up in plurals like heroes and potatoes. Our checked list has 22 words where oe says /ō/.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 22
- By syllables
- one syllable: 11 · two syllables: 8 · three or more syllables: 3
- Taught in
- Lesson 86 in the sequence
Oe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| doe | d·oe | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| goes | g·oe·s | 1 | Lesson 32 (heart word) |
| toe | t·oe | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| toes | t·oe·s | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| 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 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| echoes | e·ch·oe·s | 2 | Lesson 118 |
| heroes | h·e·r·oe·s | 2 | Not in the sequence |
| 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 |
| toenails | t·oe·n·ai·l·s | 2 | Lesson 86 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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 oe words?
Oe is a short list; teach it as a small family. "At the end of these words, oe says /ō/." Read toe, doe, foe, woe, goes. Show plurals of words ending in o (hero, heroes; potato, potatoes), where adding -es creates oe.
What mistake do students make with oe words?
Students read shoe as /shō/; shoe is an exception. Teach toe and shoe as a contrast pair. In spelling, students write ow for oe (tow for toe). Homophones help: tow and toe, doe and dough.
Where do oe words come in the sequence?
Oe is taught with oa and ow /ō/. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 86.
Exceptions worth knowing
Shoe and canoe say /oo/. Does says /ŭ/. Poem and poet have o and e in separate syllables.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 86 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- The doe has a sore toe.
- She goes to the pond.
- Tap your toe on the mat.
Questions people ask
What are 5 oe words?
Does oe always say long o?
Why do potatoes and heroes have oe?
When can a student read oe 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.