Phonics word list
Wr words
In short
In wr words the w is silent and wr says /r/, as in write, wrong and wrap. Wr comes at the start of a word or word part. Our checked list has 70 words where wr says /r/.
At a glance
- Words in our list
- 70
- By syllables
- one syllable: 34 · two syllables: 29 · three or more syllables: 7
- By position
- initial: 55 · medial: 15 · final: 0
- Taught in
- Lesson 98 in the sequence
Wr 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| write | wr·i_e·t | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrong | wr·o·ng | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrote | wr·o_e·t | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| writes | wr·i_e·t·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrap | wr·a·p | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wren | wr·e·n | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wraps | wr·a·p·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrath | wr·a·th | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wreck | wr·e·ck | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrist | wr·i·s·t | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrecks | wr·e·ck·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrongs | wr·o·ng·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrapped | wr·a·pp·ed | 1 | Lesson 107 |
| wrecked | wr·e·ck·ed | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wry | wr·y | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| writ | wr·i·t | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wreak | wr·ea·k | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrest | wr·e·s·t | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wring | wr·i·ng | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| writs | wr·i·t·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrung | wr·u·ng | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wreaks | wr·ea·k·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wreath | wr·ea·th | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrench | wr·e·n·ch | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wretch | wr·e·tch | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wright | wr·igh·t | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrists | wr·i·s·t·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| writhe | wr·i·th·e | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wreaked | wr·ea·k·ed | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wreaths | wr·ea·th·s | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| writhed | wr·i·th·ed | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wronged | wr·o·ng·ed | 1 | Lesson 98 |
| wrought | wr·ough·t | 1 | Lesson 116 |
| wrenched | wr·e·n·ch·ed | 1 | Lesson 98 |
Two syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| writer | wr·i·t·er | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| rewrite | r·e·wr·i_e·t | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| writing | wr·i·t·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| written | wr·i·tt·e·n | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| rewrote | r·e·wr·o_e·t | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrapper | wr·a·pp·er | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrecker | wr·e·ck·er | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| writers | wr·i·t·er·s | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrongly | wr·o·ng·l·y | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| rewrites | r·e·wr·i_e·t·s | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrappers | wr·a·pp·er·s | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrapping | wr·a·pp·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| wrecking | wr·e·ck·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wretched | wr·e·tch·ed | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| writings | wr·i·t·i·ng·s | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| unwrap | u·n·wr·a·p | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrested | wr·e·s·t·ed | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wringer | wr·i·ng·er | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wreaking | wr·ea·k·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wrenches | wr·e·n·ch·es | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wresting | wr·e·s·t·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wringing | wr·i·ng·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| writhing | wr·i·th·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 109 |
| shipwreck | sh·i·p·wr·e·ck | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| unwrapped | u·n·wr·a·pp·ed | 2 | Lesson 107 |
| wrenching | wr·e·n·ch·i·ng | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| playwright | p·l·ay·wr·igh·t | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| wristwatch | wr·i·s·t·w·a·tch | 2 | Lesson 98 |
| playwrights | p·l·ay·wr·igh·t·s | 2 | Lesson 98 |
Three or more syllables
| Word | Spelling units | Syllables | Readable after |
|---|---|---|---|
| rewriting | r·e·wr·i·t·i·ng | 3 | Lesson 109 |
| rewritten | r·e·wr·i·tt·e·n | 3 | Lesson 98 |
| typewriter | t·y·p·e·wr·i·t·er | 3 | Lesson 98 |
| overwritten | o·v·er·wr·i·tt·e·n | 4 | Lesson 98 |
| unwritten | u·n·wr·i·tt·e·n | 3 | Lesson 98 |
| unwrapping | u·n·wr·a·pp·i·ng | 3 | Lesson 107 |
| typewriters | t·y·p·e·wr·i·t·er·s | 3 | Lesson 98 |
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 98 | 61 |
| Lesson 107 | 4 |
| Lesson 109 | 4 |
| Lesson 116 | 1 |
How do you teach wr words?
Teach wr in the same lesson as kn and mb. "The w is quiet. Wr says /r/." Read a short set: write, wrap, wrist, wreck, wrong. Many wr words have to do with twisting or bending (wring, wrist, wrinkle, wrestle), and students like that pattern. Spell by meaning family: write, wrote, written.
What mistake do students make with wr words?
Students spell write as rite, which is a real word with a different meaning. Use that. "Rite is a ceremony. Write is with a pencil, and it starts with a quiet w." Homophone pairs (write and right, wrap and rap) are worth a short sort.
Where do wr words come in the sequence?
Wr is typically taught late, with other silent letter spellings, after the vowel teams. In the sequence we use, the pattern is taught in Lesson 98.
Exceptions worth knowing
In awry and rewrite the w is still silent. Words built from write keep the w (writer, written, wrote). Wh and wr are easy to confuse in spelling; group them separately.
Decodable sentences
Every word in these sentences can be read at Lesson 98 or earlier, or is a heart word taught by then.
- I can write my name.
- Wrap the gift in red paper.
- The ship was a wreck.
Questions people ask
What are 5 wr words?
Why do some words start with wr?
What are some wr words?
When can a student read wr 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.