Explore Words Containing the OW/OU Diphthong

Diphthongs are sounds formed by a combination of two vowel sounds. The sound starts with the first vowel sound and then moves to the second. One such example of a diphthong is “ow”. The digraphs used for this diphthong are “ow” (as in cow) and “ou” (as in cloud).

This set of word searches has been designed to familiarize your students with “ow” and “ou” words. Perfect for reading centers, independent work, or as a take-home task, your students will love challenging themselves to see how quickly they can find all the words!

Differentiated Phonics Worksheets? Yes, Please!

We know that early years classrooms are filled with students who are learning at a diverse range of levels. That’s why we’ve provided three differentiated versions of this “ow” and “ou” words word search:

• Word Search 1: Words in the word bank contain the entire word and an accompanying image. Students use this word bank to circle or highlight the words in the word search containing “ow” or “ou”.
• Word Search 2: Words in the word bank are missing the “ow” or “ou” digraph. Students must write the missing digraph into the word bank words, then circle or highlight these words in the word search.  
• Word Search 3: Only an image is provided in the word bank. Students must write the correct words next to the pictures in their entirety using “ow” or “ou”, then circle or highlight these words in the word search.  

Easily Download This Resource for Your Students

Use the dropdown menu next to the Download button to access this resource’s PDF or Google Slides version.

Because this resource includes an answer sheet, we recommend you print one copy of the entire file. Then, make photocopies of the blank worksheet for students to complete.

To save paper, why not project the word search onto a screen and work through it as a class? Have students take turns coming up to the board when they spot a word!

This resource was created by Alessandra Pastor, a teacher in Massachusetts and a Teach Starter collaborator.