What are good dictation words for nursery, LKG and UKG in English?

For nursery, LKG (lower kindergarten) and UKG (upper kindergarten), choose words that match the sounds the class has just learned. Nursery children usually cannot write words yet, so dictation at that level should be spoken: the teacher says a word, and the child says it back or points to a picture. In LKG, use short words with regular spelling, such as cat, sun, bed, pen and mop. In UKG, add blends such as frog and stop, long-vowel words such as cake, and one or two irregular words such as the and said. Keep each list tied to the week's lesson.

Nursery dictation should be spoken and pictured

Children in nursery are still learning to hold a pencil and to link letters with sounds. A dictation at this level works better as a listening game. Say one word, ask the child to repeat it, and then have them match it to a picture card. For example, say "sun" and show a picture of the sun. This is our suggestion, not a finding from a study. We did not find a checked study of dictation for nursery children, so treat it as a practical routine.

LKG words should follow the sounds the class has learned

The Common Core kindergarten language standard asks children to show command of standard English capitalization, punctuation and spelling when they write ¹. The standard sets the goal but does not name words. The kindergarten reading standard asks children to know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words ². So the most defensible LKG list uses words the children can already sound out.

These examples are common words that fit each pattern. They are not from a school syllabus, so check each one against what your class has been taught.

Phonics is the only teaching approach that a 2014 meta-analysis of randomized trials found statistically confirmed for reading and spelling in children and adolescents with reading disabilities ³. That supports choosing sound-spelled words, especially for a child who is behind. It does not show that phonics dictation is better for every child in LKG.

UKG lists should add a few irregular words

The Common Core grade 1 standard asks students to recognize and read grade-appropriate irregularly spelled words ⁴. That standard is for grade 1, not UKG, but it shows where irregular words are expected to appear in the school sequence. Words such as the, said and come do not follow the usual sound pattern, so a child who spells by sound will get them wrong. Put one or two of them in a UKG list, and teach them in the lesson before the test.

Keep the list short and tied to the lesson

The Hong Kong Education Bureau's dictation handbook describes a phonics dictation that revises vocabulary the pupils have learned, and also asks them to spell a few less familiar words by applying their phonics skills ⁵. A UKG list can follow the same mix:

1. Choose a few words from this week's lesson.
2. Add one or two words that use the sounds just taught.
3. Add one irregular word that the class has already seen in a reading book.
4. Say each word in a short sentence on the week's theme, such as animals or food.
5. Score each spelling error once. The handbook says marks should not be deducted for repeated mistakes ⁶, because repeating one misspelling is not the same as making several errors.

For the general list for school-age children, read our page on English dictation words for kids.

It depends on the child and the syllabus

If a child cannot yet hear the sounds in a word, use the spoken version and picture cards for longer. If a child writes every word correctly, add a longer word or a short sentence. Your school's syllabus decides which words are fair to test, and it should override any list on this page. We did not find a published, checked word list for UKG dictation in English.

Children who are learning Hindi at the same time need a different list, because Hindi spelling uses matras and conjuncts. See our page on Hindi dictation words without matra. For the wider method, read the guide to dictation for language learning, or the overview of dictation languages and accents.