The -ab word family
9 words that rhyme
Every word here ends in "-ab". Keep the ending on the page and change only the sound at the front — that one trick turns a single decoded word into a whole list your child can read.
All -ab words
- cab
- dab
- jab
- lab
- nab
- tab
- crab
- grab
- stab
How to run a five-minute session
- Say the ending "-ab" three times together.
- Add one sound in front and read: cab.
- Swap the first sound and read again — dab, jab, lab.
- Read the whole list top to bottom, then shuffled.
- Finish by having your child write two of the words from memory.
Printable sheet
-ab word family worksheet
Read each -ab word aloud, then trace it. Circle your two favourites and use them in a sentence.
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Common questions
What words are in the -ab family?
cab, dab, jab, lab, nab, tab, crab, grab, stab — 9 words in total, all ending in "-ab".
What is a -ab word?
A word that ends with the letters and sound "-ab". Because the ending never changes, a child only has to decode the first sound.
How do you teach the -ab word family?
Write "-ab" once and keep it fixed. Change only the letter in front, one at a time, and have your child read each new word aloud. Ten words in five minutes is normal.
Play the -ab game
Sound Wheels spins the first sound while the ending stays put — kids read the whole family without noticing.
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