Phonics word list

STR blend words

In short

Str is a three-letter blend: s, t and r at the start of a word, all heard, as in strap, strong and street. Our checked list has 131 words that start with the str blend.

At a glance

Words in our list: 131
By syllables: one syllable: 65 · two syllables: 58 · three or more syllables: 8
Taught in: Lesson 35c in the sequence

Str 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 65 words. 5 more are in our list.

One syllable
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
stream	s·t·r·ea·m	1	Lesson 85
street	s·t·r·ee·t	1	Lesson 85
strict	s·t·r·i·c·t	1	Lesson 24
strike	s·t·r·i_e·k	1	Lesson 55
string	s·t·r·i·ng	1	Lesson 51
strong	s·t·r·o·ng	1	Lesson 51
struck	s·t·r·u·ck	1	Lesson 44
strange	s·t·r·a·n·g·e	1	Lesson 68
strikes	s·t·r·i_e·k·s	1	Lesson 55
strings	s·t·r·i·ng·s	1	Lesson 51
straight	s·t·r·aigh·t	1	Lesson 114
strength	s·t·r·e·ng·th	1	Lesson 51
straw	s·t·r·aw	1	Lesson 93
stray	s·t·r·ay	1	Lesson 84
strip	s·t·r·i·p	1	Lesson 24
strain	s·t·r·ai·n	1	Lesson 84
stress	s·t·r·e·ss	1	Lesson 42
strips	s·t·r·i·p·s	1	Lesson 24
strive	s·t·r·i_e·v	1	Lesson 55
stroke	s·t·r·o_e·k	1	Lesson 56
strains	s·t·r·ai·n·s	1	Lesson 84
streams	s·t·r·ea·m·s	1	Lesson 85
streets	s·t·r·ee·t·s	1	Lesson 85
stretch	s·t·r·e·tch	1	Lesson 69
stressed	s·t·r·e·ss·ed	1	Lesson 64
stripped	s·t·r·i·pp·ed	1	Lesson 107
stretched	s·t·r·e·tch·ed	1	Lesson 69
strap	s·t·r·a·p	1	Lesson 24
strew	s·t·r·ew	1	Lesson 91
strum	s·t·r·u·m	1	Lesson 24
strut	s·t·r·u·t	1	Lesson 24
strait	s·t·r·ai·t	1	Lesson 84
strand	s·t·r·a·n·d	1	Lesson 24
straps	s·t·r·a·p·s	1	Lesson 24
straws	s·t·r·aw·s	1	Lesson 93
strays	s·t·r·ay·s	1	Lesson 84
streak	s·t·r·ea·k	1	Lesson 85
strewn	s·t·r·ew·n	1	Lesson 91
stride	s·t·r·i_e·d	1	Lesson 55
strife	s·t·r·i_e·f	1	Lesson 55
stripe	s·t·r·i_e·p	1	Lesson 55
strode	s·t·r·o_e·d	1	Lesson 56
stroll	s·t·r·o·ll	1	Lesson 43
strove	s·t·r·o_e·v	1	Lesson 56
strums	s·t·r·u·m·s	1	Lesson 24
strung	s·t·r·u·ng	1	Lesson 51
struts	s·t·r·u·t·s	1	Lesson 24
straits	s·t·r·ai·t·s	1	Lesson 84
strands	s·t·r·a·n·d·s	1	Lesson 24
strayed	s·t·r·ay·ed	1	Lesson 84
streaks	s·t·r·ea·k·s	1	Lesson 85
strides	s·t·r·i_e·d·s	1	Lesson 55
striped	s·t·r·i·p·ed	1	Lesson 64
stripes	s·t·r·i_e·p·s	1	Lesson 55
strives	s·t·r·i_e·v·s	1	Lesson 55
stroked	s·t·r·o·k·ed	1	Lesson 64
strokes	s·t·r·o_e·k·s	1	Lesson 56
strolls	s·t·r·o·ll·s	1	Lesson 43
strained	s·t·r·ai·n·ed	1	Lesson 84
strapped	s·t·r·a·pp·ed	1	Lesson 107

Two syllables

58 words, most common first.

Two syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
strictly	s·t·r·i·c·t·l·y	2	Lesson 74
striking	s·t·r·i·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
strongly	s·t·r·o·ng·l·y	2	Lesson 74
structure	s·t·r·u·c·ture	2	Lesson 120
structures	s·t·r·u·c·ture·s	2	Lesson 120
stranger	s·t·r·a·n·g·er	2	Lesson 109
stresses	s·t·r·e·ss·es	2	Lesson 63
stronger	s·t·r·o·ng·er	2	Lesson 80
struggle	s·t·r·u·gg·le	2	Lesson 75
strangely	s·t·r·a·n·g·e·l·y	2	Lesson 101
strangest	s·t·r·a·n·g·e·s·t	2	Lesson 109
stressing	s·t·r·e·ss·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
stretches	s·t·r·e·tch·es	2	Lesson 69
stringent	s·t·r·i·n·g·e·n·t	2	Lesson 117
stripping	s·t·r·i·pp·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
strongest	s·t·r·o·n·g·e·s·t	2	Lesson 67b
struggled	s·t·r·u·gg·le·d	2	Lesson 75
struggles	s·t·r·u·gg·le·s	2	Lesson 75
strengthen	s·t·r·e·ng·th·e·n	2	Lesson 67b
stretching	s·t·r·e·tch·i·ng	2	Lesson 69
structured	s·t·r·u·c·ture·d	2	Lesson 120
struggling	s·t·r·u·gg·l·i·ng	2	Lesson 67b
striker	s·t·r·i·k·er	2	Lesson 80
stringy	s·t·r·i·ng·y	2	Lesson 74
stranded	s·t·r·a·n·d·ed	2	Lesson 64
straying	s·t·r·ay·i·ng	2	Lesson 84
streamer	s·t·r·ea·m·er	2	Lesson 85
stricter	s·t·r·i·c·t·er	2	Lesson 80
striding	s·t·r·i·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
strikers	s·t·r·i·k·er·s	2	Lesson 80
striving	s·t·r·i·v·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
stroking	s·t·r·o·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 109
stroller	s·t·r·o·ll·er	2	Lesson 80
straining	s·t·r·ai·n·i·ng	2	Lesson 84
stranding	s·t·r·a·n·d·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
strangers	s·t·r·a·n·g·er·s	2	Lesson 109
strapping	s·t·r·a·pp·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
streaking	s·t·r·ea·k·i·ng	2	Lesson 85
streamers	s·t·r·ea·m·er·s	2	Lesson 85
streaming	s·t·r·ea·m·i·ng	2	Lesson 85
streetcar	s·t·r·ee·t·c·ar	2	Lesson 85
stressful	s·t·r·e·ss·f·u·l	2	Lesson 67b
stretcher	s·t·r·e·tch·er	2	Lesson 80
strictest	s·t·r·i·c·t·e·s·t	2	Lesson 67b
stringing	s·t·r·i·ng·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
strollers	s·t·r·o·ll·er·s	2	Lesson 80
strolling	s·t·r·o·ll·i·ng	2	Lesson 65
strumming	s·t·r·u·mm·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
strutting	s·t·r·u·tt·i·ng	2	Lesson 107
straighter	s·t·r·aigh·t·er	2	Lesson 114
streamline	s·t·r·ea·m·l·i_e·n	2	Lesson 85
stretchers	s·t·r·e·tch·er·s	2	Lesson 80
stronghold	s·t·r·o·ng·h·o·l·d	2	Lesson 72
strangeness	s·t·r·a·n·g·e·n·e·ss	2	Lesson 117
streamlined	s·t·r·ea·m·l·i_e·n·d	2	Lesson 85
strengthens	s·t·r·e·ng·th·e·n·s	2	Lesson 67b
strongholds	s·t·r·o·ng·h·o·l·d·s	2	Lesson 72
strengthened	s·t·r·e·ng·th·e·n·ed	2	Lesson 67b

Three or more syllables

8 words, most common first.

Three or more syllables
Word	Spelling units	Syllables	Readable after
strategy	s·t·r·a·t·e·g·y	3	Lesson 117
straightforward	s·t·r·aigh·t·f·or·w·ar·d	3	Lesson 114
strategic	s·t·r·a·t·e·g·i·c	3	Lesson 117
strategies	s·t·r·a·t·e·g·ie·s	3	Lesson 117
structural	s·t·r·u·c·t·ur·a·l	3	Not in the sequence
structuring	s·t·r·u·c·t·ur·i·ng	3	Lesson 120
strengthening	s·t·r·e·ng·th·e·n·i·ng	3	Lesson 67b
straightforwardly	s·t·r·aigh·t·f·or·w·ar·d·l·y	4	Lesson 114

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 24	11
Lesson 51	6
Lesson 55	9
Lesson 67b	8
Lesson 80	8
Lesson 84	10
Lesson 85	15
Lesson 109	7
Not in the sequence	1

How do you teach str words?

Layer it from words the student knows: rap, trap, strap. "You know trap. Add /s/ in front." Str is the most common three-letter blend, so start here. Practice strip, strap, strum, struck.

What mistake do students make with str words?

The t disappears (srap for strap) or the r does (stap). Hold up three fingers for the three consonants and touch each while saying the word slowly. Many students also hear /shtr/; accept the speech and check the spelling.

Where do str words come in the sequence?

Str is usually the first three-letter blend taught, after the two-letter s and r blends. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 35c.

Exceptions worth knowing

Words like instruct and destroy have str inside, after a prefix. Str is never split by a silent letter.

Decodable sentences

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

Strap the bag on the van.
The man is strict.
The strap is red.

Questions people ask

What are 5 str words?

Stream, street, strict, strike, string. Those are the five most common of the 131 words that start with the str blend in our checked list.

What are some str words?

Strong, street, strap, string, strip, stream, strike and strange.

Why does my student say shtreet?

Many speakers round /s/ toward /sh/ before tr. That is accent, not a reading error; just make sure the spelling is str.

When can a student read str words?

Str words are taught at Lesson 35c in the lesson sequence we use. 11 of the 131 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.