1. The Dale-Chall 3,000 Word List for Readability Formulas

The Dale-Chall Word List includes 3,000 words that 80% of fifth-grade students should find familiar. Words not on the list are considered challenging. In recent years, the Dale-Chall Word List has been revised to reflect changes in language and education. The updated version uses more contemporary vocabulary and concepts to score readability of modern-day texts for young and adult readers.

2. The Spache 925+ (Revised) Word List for Readability Formulas

The Spache word list is a collection of words curated by George D. Spache to help analyze the readability of texts for children in early grades–up to the fourth grade. The list contains words known by children up to a certain age, making it a useful tool for creating age-appropriate reading materials.

3. The Fry Sight 1000 Word List

The Fry Sight Words is a list of common words in English. Developed by Dr. Edward Fry, the list is based on the frequency of words appearing in reading materials used in Grades 3-9. The words are organized into groups of 100 words, with a total of 1,000 words. Unlike phonetic words, these sight words have irregular spellings and cannot be sounded out. The purpose is to help students recognize these words instantly without needing to decode them.