Phonics word list
SN blend words
In short
Sn is an s blend: s and n together at the start of a word, both heard, as in snap, snack and snow. Our checked list has 104 words that start with the sn blend.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 104
- By syllables
- one syllable: 59 · two syllables: 44 · three or more syllables: 1
- Taught in
- Lesson 35c in the sequence
Sn 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| snag | s·n·a·g | 1 | Lesson 16 |
| snow | s·n·ow | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| snack | s·n·a·ck | 1 | Lesson 44 |
| snail | s·n·ai·l | 1 | Lesson 84 |
| sneak | s·n·ea·k | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| sniff | s·n·i·ff | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| sneaks | s·n·ea·k·s | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| sneaked | s·n·ea·k·ed | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| snap | s·n·a·p | 1 | Lesson 9 |
| snip | s·n·i·p | 1 | Lesson 9 |
| snob | s·n·o·b | 1 | Lesson 17 |
| snub | s·n·u·b | 1 | Lesson 17 |
| snug | s·n·u·g | 1 | Lesson 16 |
| snags | s·n·a·g·s | 1 | Lesson 21 |
| snake | s·n·a_e·k | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| snaps | s·n·a·p·s | 1 | Lesson 20 |
| snare | s·n·are | 1 | Lesson 112 |
| snarl | s·n·ar·l | 1 | Lesson 77 |
| sneer | s·n·eer | 1 | Lesson 113 |
| snide | s·n·i_e·d | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| snipe | s·n·i_e·p | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| snips | s·n·i·p·s | 1 | Lesson 20 |
| snobs | s·n·o·b·s | 1 | Lesson 21 |
| snoop | s·n·oo·p | 1 | Lesson 90 |
| snore | s·n·ore | 1 | Lesson 78 |
| snort | s·n·or·t | 1 | Lesson 78 |
| snout | s·n·ou·t | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| snows | s·n·ow·s | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| snubs | s·n·u·b·s | 1 | Lesson 21 |
| snuff | s·n·u·ff | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| snacks | s·n·a·ck·s | 1 | Lesson 44 |
| snails | s·n·ai·l·s | 1 | Lesson 84 |
| snakes | s·n·a_e·k·s | 1 | Lesson 54 |
| snared | s·n·are·d | 1 | Lesson 112 |
| snares | s·n·are·s | 1 | Lesson 112 |
| snarls | s·n·ar·l·s | 1 | Lesson 77 |
| snatch | s·n·a·tch | 1 | Lesson 69 |
| sneers | s·n·eer·s | 1 | Lesson 113 |
| sneeze | s·n·ee·z·e | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| sniffs | s·n·i·ff·s | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| sniped | s·n·i·p·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| snipes | s·n·i_e·p·s | 1 | Lesson 55 |
| snitch | s·n·i·tch | 1 | Lesson 69 |
| snoops | s·n·oo·p·s | 1 | Lesson 90 |
| snooze | s·n·oo·z·e | 1 | Lesson 90 |
| snores | s·n·ore·s | 1 | Lesson 78 |
| snorts | s·n·or·t·s | 1 | Lesson 78 |
| snouts | s·n·ou·t·s | 1 | Lesson 96 |
| snowed | s·n·ow·ed | 1 | Lesson 86 |
| snuffs | s·n·u·ff·s | 1 | Lesson 42 |
| snacked | s·n·a·ck·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| snagged | s·n·a·gg·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| snapped | s·n·a·pp·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| sneered | s·n·eer·ed | 1 | Lesson 113 |
| sneezed | s·n·ee·z·ed | 1 | Lesson 85 |
| sniffed | s·n·i·ff·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| snubbed | s·n·u·bb·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| snuffed | s·n·u·ff·ed | 1 | Lesson 64 |
| snatched | s·n·a·tch·ed | 1 | Lesson 69 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| sneaky | s·n·ea·k·y | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| sneaking | s·n·ea·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| snowy | s·n·ow·y | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snappy | s·n·a·pp·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| snider | s·n·i·d·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| sniper | s·n·i·p·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| snugly | s·n·u·g·l·y | 2 | Lesson 74 |
| snaking | s·n·a·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| snaring | s·n·a·r·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 112 |
| sneaker | s·n·ea·k·er | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| sneezes | s·n·ee·z·e·s | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| snipers | s·n·i·p·er·s | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| sniping | s·n·i·p·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| snoring | s·n·or·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| snorted | s·n·or·t·ed | 2 | Lesson 78 |
| snowing | s·n·ow·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snuffer | s·n·u·ff·er | 2 | Lesson 80 |
| snacking | s·n·a·ck·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| snagging | s·n·a·gg·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| snapping | s·n·a·pp·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| snapshot | s·n·a·p·sh·o·t | 2 | Lesson 67a |
| snarling | s·n·ar·l·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 77 |
| snatches | s·n·a·tch·es | 2 | Lesson 69 |
| sneakers | s·n·ea·k·er·s | 2 | Lesson 85 |
| sneering | s·n·eer·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 113 |
| sneezing | s·n·ee·z·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| sniffing | s·n·i·ff·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| snobbish | s·n·o·bb·i·sh | 2 | Lesson 67b |
| snooping | s·n·oo·p·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 90 |
| snoozing | s·n·oo·z·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| snorting | s·n·or·t·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 78 |
| snowball | s·n·ow·b·a·ll | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snubbing | s·n·u·bb·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| snuffing | s·n·u·ff·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 65 |
| snugging | s·n·u·gg·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| snapshots | s·n·a·p·sh·o·t·s | 2 | Lesson 67a |
| snatching | s·n·a·tch·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 69 |
| snitching | s·n·i·tch·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 69 |
| snowballs | s·n·ow·b·a·ll·s | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snowflake | s·n·ow·f·l·a_e·k | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snowstorm | s·n·ow·s·t·or·m | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snowballed | s·n·ow·b·a·ll·ed | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snowflakes | s·n·ow·f·l·a_e·k·s | 2 | Lesson 86 |
| snowstorms | s·n·ow·s·t·or·m·s | 2 | Lesson 86 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| snobbery | s·n·o·bb·er·y | 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.
| Readable after | Words |
|---|---|
| Lesson 42 | 4 |
| Lesson 69 | 6 |
| Lesson 78 | 6 |
| Lesson 80 | 5 |
| Lesson 85 | 10 |
| Lesson 86 | 12 |
| Lesson 107 | 7 |
| Lesson 109 | 5 |
How do you teach sn words?
Stretch the two sounds into each other: "Sssnnnap." Build snap, snip, snug, sniff. Many sn words relate to the nose (sniff, sneeze, snout, snore), a pattern students enjoy finding.
What mistake do students make with sn words?
Students drop the n or confuse sn with sm. Have them hold their nose: /n/ and /m/ both stop, but the lips close only for /m/.
Where do sn words come in the sequence?
Sn comes with the other s blends after short vowels. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.
Exceptions worth knowing
Sn never takes a silent letter between the two sounds. In words like person and lesson, s and n are split by a vowel, so there is no blend.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 35c or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- Snap the twig.
- The cat can snip the net.
- The bug is snug in the rug.
Questions people ask
What are 5 sn words?
What are some sn words?
How do I help a student who confuses sn and sm?
When can a student read sn 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.