This sight words typing game helps young typists practice the most common words in English on the keyboard: a free 60-second test where you type 83 sight words such as the, said, they and little, then see your words per minute and accuracy. Typing sight words builds spelling and reading at the same time as finger skills, because the words are the ones children meet on every page. It is free, needs no sign-up, works with any keyboard, and comes with a printable list of all 83 words to tick off.
Sight words typing game: test and printable list
Take the sight words typing test above, then print the list. The first picture shows all 83 words grouped by length with a tick box for each, and the other pictures show the game at the start, while you type and on the results screen.
How the sight words typing game works
- Press Start and click in the typing area. The clock begins on your first key.
- Type the highlighted letters, word after word, with a space between words.
- Keep going for 60 seconds. A wrong key is counted as a mistake, and you keep going.
- See your score: words per minute and accuracy, and your best score is saved on this device.
The game shuffles all 83 words into a new order every time and then repeats them in a second shuffled order, so one test has 166 words and about 703 keystrokes. A typist would need over 141 words per minute to run out of text, so the test never stops early. The first words in a typical list look like this: the, and, a, to, said, in, he, I, of, it, was, you, they, on, she, is, for, at, his, but.
Typing sight words: how many keyboard rows each word uses
Some sight words can be typed without leaving a single row, and these are the easiest. Others make a finger travel over two or three rows, which is where mistakes happen. Counting every word in the list by the number of rows it uses gives this:
| Rows used | Number of words | Words |
|---|---|---|
| One row | 15 | a, to, I, it, you, all, we, up, had, out, were, as, your, put, and 1 more |
| Two rows | 55 | the, and, said, in, he, of, was, they, on, she, is, for, at, his, and 41 more |
| All three rows | 13 | have, some, then, them, down, big, when, from, him, came, about, could, made |
Only the home row is enough for a, all, had and as, and the top row alone is enough for to, I, it, you, we, up, out, were, your, put and too. Only one word, I, needs a capital letter, which means the Shift key and the other hand. Try holding Shift with the pinky on the opposite side from the letter.
Sight words typing practice: why it works
Typing a word is a different action from reading it, and it makes children look at every letter in order. That is why sight words typing practice helps spelling: the fingers learn the sequence, and the sequence supports the memory. Children who have learned to read the words with the sight words game can use this game to learn to spell them. Wikipedia’s sight word article explains the reading side.
| Skill | How typing sight words helps |
|---|---|
| Spelling | Every letter must be pressed, in order |
| Finger accuracy | Short words repeat common finger paths |
| Speed | Common words become automatic units |
| Reading | Seeing the word again and again builds sight recognition |
Sight words by first letter
Another way to organize practice is by first letter. The most common starting letters in the list are T, H, W, A, which means the left hand does a lot of the starting work. Here are the eight biggest groups:
| First letter | Number of words |
|---|---|
| T | 11 |
| H | 8 |
| W | 8 |
| A | 7 |
| I | 6 |
| S | 5 |
| O | 5 |
| B | 5 |
Typing practice for kids: a sight word typing printable
The sight word typing printable lists all 83 words with a tick box each, grouped by length so that the short, easy words come first. Print it once for each child, and tick a word after typing it with no mistakes in a test. Children enjoy seeing the ticks grow, and teachers can see at a glance which words still need practice.
Typing test for kids and keyboarding practice with sight words
For a quick typing test for kids in the classroom, project the game on a screen and let each child take a one-minute turn, or run the test on every computer at once. Use five minutes of keyboarding practice at the start of a lesson as a warm-up, and ask children to say each word quietly as they type it. A sight words typing game session like this builds fluency without feeling like a test.
A sight words typing practice plan
- Day 1 to 2: type the one-row words in the table above, which are the easiest.
- Day 3 to 4: add the words that use two rows, saying each word as you type it.
- Day 5: run the 60-second test and write the score on the printable list.
- Next week: tick words you typed with no mistakes, and aim to beat your best.
Where keyboarding fits at school
| Level | What students are expected to do |
|---|---|
| Grade 3 (US) | Use technology, with keyboarding skills, to produce and publish writing (W.3.6) |
The Common Core grade 3 writing standards introduce keyboarding, and short, common words are the best place to start.
Sight words typing game: frequently asked questions
What is a sight words typing game?
It is a typing test that uses the most common words in English, so children practice spelling and finger skills on words they meet in every book.
How many words does the sight words typing game have?
There are 83 different words, shuffled into a new order every round.
Which words need the Shift key?
Only the word I, which is a capital letter. All other words in the list are lowercase.
What age is the sight words typing game for?
Usually ages 6 to 9, once a child can read the words and has met the home row.
Is the sight words typing game free, and do kids need an account?
Yes, it is free, and no account is needed. Best scores are saved only in the browser on this device.
Does it work on phones and tablets?
Yes. Every game is built for touch first and also works with a mouse on a computer.