The -ell word family
16 words that rhyme
Every word here ends in "-ell". 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 -ell words
- bell
- cell
- dell
- fell
- hell
- jell
- sell
- tell
- well
- yell
- shell
- smell
- spell
- swell
- snell
- dwell
How to run a five-minute session
- Say the ending "-ell" three times together.
- Add one sound in front and read: bell.
- Swap the first sound and read again — cell, dell, fell.
- Read the whole list top to bottom, then shuffled.
- Finish by having your child write two of the words from memory.
Printable sheet
-ell word family worksheet
Read each -ell word aloud, then trace it. Circle your two favourites and use them in a sentence.
Name: ______________________ Date: ____________
Common questions
What words are in the -ell family?
bell, cell, dell, fell, hell, jell, sell, tell, well, yell, shell, smell, spell, swell, snell, dwell — 16 words in total, all ending in "-ell".
What is a -ell word?
A word that ends with the letters and sound "-ell". Because the ending never changes, a child only has to decode the first sound.
How do you teach the -ell word family?
Write "-ell" 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 -ell game
Sound Wheels spins the first sound while the ending stays put — kids read the whole family without noticing.
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