Phonics word list
Sion words
In short
Sion is an ending that says /zhun/ as in vision and decision, or /shun/ as in tension and mansion. Our checked list has 60 words with sion.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 60
- By syllables
- one syllable: 0 · two syllables: 6 · three or more syllables: 54
- Taught in
- Lesson 119 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| /zhun/ | vision | 47 | This page |
| /shun/ | expansion | 13 | This page |
Sion 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.
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| vision | v·i·sion | 2 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| version | v·er·sion | 2 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| versions | v·er·sion·s | 2 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| fusion | f·u·sion | 2 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| tension | t·e·n·sion | 2 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| visions | v·i·sion·s | 2 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Sound | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| decision | d·e·c·i·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| division | d·i·v·i·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| occasion | o·cc·a·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| confusion | c·o·n·f·u·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| decisions | d·e·c·i·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| expansion | e·x·p·a·n·sion | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| extension | e·x·t·e·n·sion | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| occasions | o·cc·a·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| conclusion | c·o·n·c·l·u·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| occasional | o·cc·a·sion·a·l | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| television | t·e·l·e·v·i·sion | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| occasionally | o·cc·a·sion·a·ll·y | 5 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| delusion | d·e·l·u·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| illusion | i·ll·u·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| invasion | i·n·v·a·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| revision | r·e·v·i·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| dimension | d·i·m·e·n·sion | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| divisions | d·i·v·i·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| exclusion | e·x·c·l·u·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| explosion | e·x·p·l·o·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| inclusion | i·n·c·l·u·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| precision | p·r·e·c·i·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| provision | p·r·o·v·i·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| compulsion | c·o·m·p·u·l·sion | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| conversion | c·o·n·v·er·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| dimensions | d·i·m·e·n·sion·s | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| explosions | e·x·p·l·o·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| extensions | e·x·t·e·n·sion·s | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| persuasion | p·er·s·u·a·sion | 3 | /zhun/ | Not in the sequence |
| provisions | p·r·o·v·i·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| suspension | s·u·s·p·e·n·sion | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| conclusions | c·o·n·c·l·u·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| conversions | c·o·n·v·er·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| dimensional | d·i·m·e·n·sion·a·l | 4 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| provisional | p·r·o·v·i·sion·a·l | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| supervision | s·u·p·er·v·i·sion | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| comprehension | c·o·m·p·r·e·h·e·n·sion | 4 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| delusions | d·e·l·u·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| illusions | i·ll·u·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| invasions | i·n·v·a·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| revisions | r·e·v·i·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| expansions | e·x·p·a·n·sion·s | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| inclusions | i·n·c·l·u·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| occasioned | o·cc·a·sion·ed | 3 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| pretension | p·r·e·t·e·n·sion | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| persuasions | p·er·s·u·a·sion·s | 3 | /zhun/ | Not in the sequence |
| suspensions | s·u·s·p·e·n·sion·s | 3 | /shun/ | Lesson 119 |
| disillusion | d·i·s·i·ll·u·sion | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| televisions | t·e·l·e·v·i·sion·s | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| provisioning | p·r·o·v·i·sion·i·ng | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| disillusioned | d·i·s·i·ll·u·sion·ed | 4 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| provisionally | p·r·o·v·i·sion·a·ll·y | 5 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| disillusioning | d·i·s·i·ll·u·sion·i·ng | 5 | /zhun/ | Lesson 119 |
| disillusionment | d·i·s·i·ll·u·sion·m·e·n·t | 5 | /zhun/ | 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.
| Readable after | Words |
|---|---|
| Lesson 119 | 58 |
| Not in the sequence | 2 |
How do you teach sion words?
Teach both sounds. "Sion says /zhun/ or /shun/." After a vowel, /zhun/ is the usual sound (vision, decision). After l, n or s, /shun/ is common (tension, mission). The sound column in the tables shows each word.
What mistake do students make with sion words?
Students mix up sion and tion in spelling. Teach the clue: if you hear /zhun/, write sion. If /shun/ after l, n or s, sion is likely; otherwise tion.
Where do sion words come in the sequence?
Sion is taught with tion, near the end of the phonics sequence. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 119.
Exceptions worth knowing
Ssion (mission, passion) says /shun/. Some speakers say version with /zhun/ and some with /shun/.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 119 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- The vision is clear.
- The tension is high.
- We had a decision to make.
Questions people ask
What are 5 sion words?
What sounds does sion make?
When do you use sion instead of tion?
When can a student read sion 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.