-IP Word Family: Word List and Teaching Activities

The -IP word family is the second short I family — and it’s a good one. Words like dip, sip, tip, and lip are vivid, everyday words that children already use in conversation. If your child has already worked through the -IN family, the short I sound is already familiar and -IP words will come quickly. The same short /i/ vowel, just a different ending consonant — and a whole new set of words to unlock.

What Is the -IP Word Family?

A word family is a group of words that share the same vowel-consonant ending. The -IP family includes all words ending in -IP, like dip, chip, drip, and strip.

In phonics, the shared ending is the rime and the starting letter or letters are the onset. In tip, t is the onset and -ip is the rime. Once children can read the rime as one automatic chunk, their reading speed increases noticeably — they stop laboriously blending every individual sound and start recognizing words almost instantly.

Like the -IN family, -IP uses the short I sound — the /i/ in itch and insect. If your child is coming straight to -IP without having done -IN first, it’s worth spending a moment on the short I vowel before starting — contrasting it with short A (cap / sip) and short E (set / sit) helps children hear the difference clearly.

-IP Word Family Word List

Here’s a sample list of -IP words, grouped from simplest to a little more challenging:

Simple 3-Letter -IP Words

4-Letter and Longer -IP Words

Tip: Dip, sip, tip, and lip are the four to start with — they’re concrete, easy to act out, and common in everyday conversation. Chip and ship are great next steps since kids tend to know both words well already.

-IP Words in Simple Sentences

Seeing -IP words in context helps children move from pattern practice to natural, confident reading. Try these decodable sentences with your child:

1. She took a small sip from the cup.
2. The big ship had a red and white strip on its side.
3. He got a chip in the blue bowl and had a dip.
4. The tap had a slow drip all night.
5. Be careful not to trip on that step.
6. Zip up your bag and don’t let the tip of your pen leak.

Sentences 2 and 3 each use two -IP words — a fun challenge to find both before moving on to the next line.

How to Teach -IP Word Family Words at Home

Here are four activities that are easy to set up and genuinely effective:

1. Act It Out

Many -IP words are actions — dip, sip, rip, zip, drip, trip. Call out a word and have your child act it out, then swap roles. This is one of the most effective ways to build vocabulary alongside phonics — children connect the sound pattern to a real physical experience, which makes the word stick far longer than a flashcard drill would.

2. Onset-Rime Swap

Say /ip/ together, then take turns adding onset sounds: d-ip, h-ip, l-ip, s-ip, t-ip, z-ip. Move quickly once the pattern is clicking — speed builds automaticity. Ask “real word or made-up word?” after each one to keep your child actively engaged rather than just repeating passively.

3. -IN vs -IP Sort

Mix cards from the -IN family and the -IP family together and have your child sort them. Both use short I, so the sort focuses entirely on the ending consonant: /n/ or /p/. Pairs like bin / dip, pin / sip, and tin / tip are particularly good for training that final-consonant discrimination — a skill that matters a lot in accurate reading and spelling.

4. Chip and Dip Reading Game

Write -IP words on small pieces of paper and fold them up. Drop them in a bowl (the “dip”). Take turns picking one out, reading it, and using it in a sentence. If you can do both correctly, you get to eat a chip. Kids who are motivated by food rewards tend to stay engaged through this one much longer than a regular flashcard session.

Free -IP Word Family Worksheet

Download our free -IP word family worksheet (PDF) — it includes tracing, fill-in-the-blank, and a circle-the-word activity for kindergarten and grade 1. Print and go.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are some -IP word family words for kindergarten?

Great starter -IP words for kindergarteners include dip, hip, lip, sip, and tip. These simple three-letter CVC words are easy to decode once a child knows the short I sound and can recognize the -IP pattern at the end of a word.

How do you teach the -IP word family to beginners?

Start by saying the -IP ending out loud together: /ip/. Then swap the first sound: d-ip, h-ip, l-ip, s-ip, t-ip. Always begin orally before moving to print. Hearing the short I sound clearly first makes reading and spelling -IP words much more automatic for young learners.

What is the difference between word families and phonics?

Phonics is the full system of letter-sound relationships. Word families are a teaching shortcut within phonics — they group words by a shared ending like -IP so children can recognize and decode whole chunks quickly rather than sounding out every individual letter.

Keep Exploring

• Letter Sounds — full phonics hub
• -IN Word Family: Word List and Teaching Activities
• -ET Word Family: Word List and Teaching Activities
• -EN Word Family: Word List and Teaching Activities
• -AT Word Family: Word List and Teaching Activities
• Free -IP Word Family Worksheet (PDF)