Phonics word list

PL blend words

In short

Pl is an l blend: p and l together at the start of a word, both heard, as in plan, plum and play. Our checked list has 143 words that start with the pl blend.

At a glance

Words in our list: 143
By syllables: one syllable: 63 · two syllables: 72 · three or more syllables: 8
Taught in: Lesson 35c in the sequence

Pl 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

The 60 most common of 63 words. 3 more are in our list.

One syllable
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
plan	p·l·a·n	1	Lesson 26
play	p·l·ay	1	Lesson 84
plea	p·l·ea	1	Lesson 85
plot	p·l·o·t	1	Lesson 26
plug	p·l·u·g	1	Lesson 26
plus	p·l·u·s	1	Lesson 26
place	p·l·a_e·c	1	Lesson 60
plain	p·l·ai·n	1	Lesson 84
plane	p·l·a_e·n	1	Lesson 54
plans	p·l·a·n·s	1	Lesson 26
plant	p·l·a·n·t	1	Lesson 26
plays	p·l·ay·s	1	Lesson 84
plots	p·l·o·t·s	1	Lesson 26
placed	p·l·a·c·ed	1	Lesson 64
played	p·l·ay·ed	1	Lesson 84
please	p·l·ea·s·e	1	Lesson 85
planned	p·l·a·nn·ed	1	Lesson 107
pleased	p·l·ea·s·ed	1	Lesson 85
ploy	p·l·oy	1	Lesson 95
plate	p·l·a_e·t	1	Lesson 54
plugs	p·l·u·g·s	1	Lesson 26
plague	p·l·a·gu·e	1	Not in the sequence
planes	p·l·a_e·n·s	1	Lesson 54
plants	p·l·a·n·t·s	1	Lesson 26
plates	p·l·a_e·t·s	1	Lesson 54
plagued	p·l·a·gu·ed	1	Not in the sequence
plagues	p·l·a·gu·e·s	1	Not in the sequence
plugged	p·l·u·gg·ed	1	Lesson 107
ply	p·l·y	1	Lesson 73
plod	p·l·o·d	1	Lesson 26
plop	p·l·o·p	1	Lesson 26
plum	p·l·u·m	1	Lesson 26
plank	p·l·a·n·k	1	Lesson 52
plead	p·l·ea·d	1	Lesson 85
pleas	p·l·ea·s	1	Lesson 85
pleat	p·l·ea·t	1	Lesson 85
plied	p·l·i·ed	1	Lesson 110
plies	p·l·ie·s	1	Lesson 110
ploys	p·l·oy·s	1	Lesson 95
pluck	p·l·u·ck	1	Lesson 44
plumb	p·l·u·mb	1	Lesson 98
plume	p·l·u_e·m	1	Lesson 58
plump	p·l·u·m·p	1	Lesson 26
plums	p·l·u·m·s	1	Lesson 26
plush	p·l·u·sh	1	Lesson 45
plains	p·l·ai·n·s	1	Lesson 84
planed	p·l·a_e·n·d	1	Lesson 64
planks	p·l·a·n·k·s	1	Lesson 52
plaque	p·l·a·qu·e	1	Not in the sequence
pleads	p·l·ea·d·s	1	Lesson 85
pleats	p·l·ea·t·s	1	Lesson 85
pledge	p·l·e·dge	1	Lesson 70
plight	p·l·igh·t	1	Lesson 87
plucks	p·l·u·ck·s	1	Lesson 44
plumes	p·l·u_e·m·s	1	Lesson 58
plunge	p·l·u·n·g·e	1	Lesson 61
plaques	p·l·a·qu·e·s	1	Not in the sequence
pledged	p·l·e·dge·d	1	Lesson 70
plopped	p·l·o·pp·ed	1	Lesson 107
plucked	p·l·u·ck·ed	1	Lesson 64

Two syllables

The 60 most common of 72 words. 12 more are in our list.

Two syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
places	p·l·a_e·c·s	2	Lesson 63
planet	p·l·a·n·e·t	2	Lesson 67b
plenty	p·l·e·n·t·y	2	Lesson 74
placing	p·l·a·c·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
plastic	p·l·a·s·t·i·c	2	Lesson 67b
playing	p·l·ay·i·ng	2	Lesson 84
pleases	p·l·ea·s·es	2	Lesson 85
planning	p·l·a·nn·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
pleasant	p·l·ea·s·a·n·t	2	Lesson 94
pleasing	p·l·ea·s·i·ng	2	Lesson 85
player	p·l·ay·er	2	Lesson 84
plural	p·l·u·r·a·l	2	Lesson 89
plainly	p·l·ai·n·l·y	2	Lesson 84
planets	p·l·a·n·e·t·s	2	Lesson 67b
planted	p·l·a·n·t·ed	2	Lesson 64
plaster	p·l·a·s·t·er	2	Lesson 80
players	p·l·ay·er·s	2	Lesson 84
plotted	p·l·o·tt·ed	2	Lesson 107
plotter	p·l·o·tt·er	2	Lesson 80
plaguing	p·l·a·gu·i·ng	2	Not in the sequence
planting	p·l·a·n·t·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
plasters	p·l·a·s·t·er·s	2	Lesson 80
platform	p·l·a·t·f·or·m	2	Lesson 78
pleasure	p·l·ea·s·ur·e	2	Lesson 119
plotting	p·l·o·tt·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
plugging	p·l·u·gg·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
plastered	p·l·a·s·t·er·ed	2	Lesson 80
playground	p·l·ay·g·r·ou·n·d	2	Lesson 96
plated	p·l·a·t·ed	2	Lesson 64
plucky	p·l·u·ck·y	2	Lesson 74
pluses	p·l·u·s·es	2	Lesson 63
plying	p·l·y·i·ng	2	Lesson 73
plainer	p·l·ai·n·er	2	Lesson 84
planner	p·l·a·nn·er	2	Lesson 80
planter	p·l·a·n·t·er	2	Lesson 80
plating	p·l·a·t·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
playful	p·l·ay·f·u·l	2	Lesson 84
playpen	p·l·ay·p·e·n	2	Lesson 84
pleaded	p·l·ea·d·ed	2	Lesson 85
pledges	p·l·e·dge·s	2	Lesson 70
plodded	p·l·o·dd·ed	2	Lesson 107
plumber	p·l·u·mb·er	2	Lesson 98
plunger	p·l·u·n·g·er	2	Lesson 109
plunges	p·l·u·n·g·e·s	2	Lesson 61
plurals	p·l·u·r·a·l·s	2	Lesson 89
plywood	p·l·y·w·oo·d	2	Lesson 89
planking	p·l·a·n·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
plankton	p·l·a·n·k·t·o·n	2	Lesson 67b
planners	p·l·a·nn·er·s	2	Lesson 80
planters	p·l·a·n·t·er·s	2	Lesson 80
plastics	p·l·a·s·t·i·c·s	2	Lesson 67b
playback	p·l·ay·b·a·ck	2	Lesson 84
playmate	p·l·ay·m·a_e·t	2	Lesson 84
playpens	p·l·ay·p·e·n·s	2	Lesson 84
pleading	p·l·ea·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 85
pledging	p·l·e·dg·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
plodding	p·l·o·dd·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
plotters	p·l·o·tt·er·s	2	Lesson 80
plucking	p·l·u·ck·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
plumbers	p·l·u·mb·er·s	2	Lesson 98

Three or more syllables

8 words, most common first.

Three or more syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
plausible	p·l·au·s·i·b·le	3	Lesson 93
plastering	p·l·a·s·t·er·i·ng	3	Lesson 80
pleasantly	p·l·ea·s·a·n·t·l·y	3	Lesson 94
planetary	p·l·a·n·e·t·a·r·y	4	Not in the sequence
playfully	p·l·ay·f·u·ll·y	3	Lesson 84
plentiful	p·l·e·n·t·i·f·u·l	3	Lesson 110
playfulness	p·l·ay·f·u·l·n·e·ss	3	Lesson 84
pleasurable	p·l·ea·s·ur·a·b·le	4	Lesson 119

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 26	14
Lesson 64	7
Lesson 67b	5
Lesson 80	10
Lesson 84	20
Lesson 85	12
Lesson 98	7
Lesson 107	9
Not in the sequence	7

How do you teach pl words?

P pops, so move quickly into l. "Lan. Pop a /p/ in front. Plan." Build plan, plot, plum, plus from known words. Pl starts many useful longer words (planet, plastic, plenty), so it repays practice.

What mistake do students make with pl words?

Students drop the l (pan for plan) or add a vowel (pulan). Say the blend in one breath and have the student copy. Tap four sounds in plan.

Where do pl words come in the sequence?

Pl comes with the other l blends, after short vowels. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.

Exceptions worth knowing

In apple and simple, p and l are split by a syllable. Pl never takes a silent letter between.

Decodable sentences

Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 35c or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.

The plan is to plant a plum.
Plop the cup in the tub.
Ten plus ten is a lot.

Questions people ask

What are 5 pl words?

Plan, play, plea, plot, plug. Those are the five most common of the 143 words that start with the pl blend in our checked list.

What are some pl words?

Plan, plum, plus, plant, play, place, planet and plastic.

What is the difference between pl and pr?

In pl the tongue lifts to the roof of the mouth for /l/; in pr the lips round for /r/. Plan and pram differ only in that sound.

When can a student read pl words?

Pl words are taught at Lesson 35c in the lesson sequence we use. 14 of the 143 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.