Which term refers to a set of words that share a common orthographic ending, such as -ike?

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Multiple Choice

Which term refers to a set of words that share a common orthographic ending, such as -ike?

Word families are groups of words that share the same ending letters, which helps readers notice patterns and decode new words by changing only the initial sound. For example, the ending -ike is common to bike, like, hike, and spike; each word fits the same family because the trailing letters are the same while the onset varies. This pattern makes it easier to read and spell by recognizing the common ending and then adding different beginnings. Rime focuses on the sound portion of a syllable after the onset—the vowel and what follows—so it’s about how the word sounds rather than about a set of words sharing a spelling ending. Sight words are high-frequency words recognized by sight rather than decoded, and polyphone means a word with multiple pronunciations. Neither describes a group of words tied together by a common orthographic ending.

Word families are groups of words that share the same ending letters, which helps readers notice patterns and decode new words by changing only the initial sound. For example, the ending -ike is common to bike, like, hike, and spike; each word fits the same family because the trailing letters are the same while the onset varies. This pattern makes it easier to read and spell by recognizing the common ending and then adding different beginnings.

Rime focuses on the sound portion of a syllable after the onset—the vowel and what follows—so it’s about how the word sounds rather than about a set of words sharing a spelling ending. Sight words are high-frequency words recognized by sight rather than decoded, and polyphone means a word with multiple pronunciations. Neither describes a group of words tied together by a common orthographic ending.

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