Compound words for preschoolers

150+ Examples Of Compound Words For Kids

Compound words for kids are designed by combining two simpler words to form one complex word. An example of this would be mail + box = mailbox. We often use compound words without realizing they consist of two different, simpler words.

What are compound words?

When asking, “what are compound words?” we need to look at the utility of compound words in modern language. They describe complex ideas or objects that can be represented by combining two simpler words. For example, the words seashell and seashore are compound words that have derivatives in sea, shell, and shore.

We use compound words to make sense of new phrases, objects, phenomena, and events. They are highly flexible by design and can be used to describe a large number of things.

You can teach your students to use compound words through a compound words list for kids and compound words examples to get them to learn the construct effectively.

Let’s check out different types of compound words and some examples you can teach your students to help them understand compound words better for optimal reading. You can also use these examples of compound words to make stories and quiz your students in larger texts.

What are the types of compound words for kids?

Now that we have explored a comprehensive list of compound words for kids, let us understand what are the types of compound words that students should know and understand. You can focus on the utility of compound words to help students learn them better.

1. Closed compound words

This is a classic example of compound words, wherein two words come together to form a completely new type of word. An example of this would be, moon + light = moonlight or base + ball = baseball. You can focus on how these words are used extensively across literary works across reading levels.

2. Open compound words

When a modifying adjective is added to a noun to create a new noun, that is an open compound word. An example of this would be store + room = storeroom. You can focus on how open compound words are used when writing sentences and describing objects.

Words like father-in-law or well-known are hyphenated compound words as they are formed with a hyphen combining two words. They retain some of their original contextual meaning through hyphenation, giving readers clarity about their meaning.

By understanding the different types of compound words, you can teach your students to be better readers and writers in the English language. You can also focus on innovative teaching methods to better explain compound words to students. You can leverage unique strategies to make compound words intuitive for kids of all ages.

Let’s look at 150 examples of compound words for kids

Compound words come in all variations, making them an important topic to focus on as kids progress from grade to grade. You can use these 150 examples of compound words to teach kids about the subject area within your own lesson plan.

After + Noon = Afternoon

Air + Plane = Airplane

Air + Port = Airport

Angel + Fish = Angelfish

Any + Body = Anybody

Any + One = Anyone

Arm + Chair = Armchair

Arm + Pit = Armpit

Basket + Ball = Basketball

Bath + Tub = Bathtub

Bed + Room = Bedroom

Birth + Place = Birthplace

Blue + Berry = Blueberry

Body + Guard = Bodyguard

Book + Store = Bookstore

Brain + Storm = Brainstorm

Bull + Frog = Bullfrog

Bus + Boy = Busboy

Butter + Fly = Butterfly

Cab + Driver = Cabdriver

Can + Not = Cannot

Candle + Stick = Candlestick

Cat + Fish = Catfish

Cave + Man = Caveman

Cross + Bow = Crossbow

Cross + Walk = Crosswalk

Day + Break = Daybreak

Day + Dream = Daydream

Day + Light = Daylight

Desk + Top = Desktop

Dog + House = Doghouse

Door + Bell = Doorbell

Door + Mat = Doormat

Down + Hill = Downhill

Dragon + Fly = Dragonfly

Drop + Down = Dropdown

Dust + Bin = Dustbin

Every + Thing = Everything

Extra + Curricular = Extracurricular

Eye + Ball = Eyeball

Eye + Brow = Eyebrow

Finger + Nail = Fingernail

Fire + Cracker = Firecracker

Fish + Bowl = Fishbowl

Fisher + Man = Fisherman

Foot + Ball = Football

Foot + Path = Footpath

Foot + Step = Footstep

Gold + Fish = Goldfish

Good + Night = Goodnight

Grand + Father = Grandfather

Grass + Hopper = Grasshopper

Ground + Hog = Groundhog

Hard + Ship = Hardship

Head + Band = Headband

Home + Town = Hometown

Honey + Dew = Honeydew

Hop + Scotch = Hopscotch

Horse + Play = Horseplay

Hot + Dog = Hotdog

In + Side = Inside

It + Self = Itself

Key + Board = Keyboard

Lay + Out = Layout

Lay + Over = Layover

Life + Time = Lifetime

Light + House = Lighthouse

Lip + Stick = Lipstick

Mail + Box = Mailbox

Merry + Go + Round = Merry-Go-Round

Mid + Night = Midnight

Milk + Shake = Milkshake

Mind + Set = Mindset

Moon + Light = Moonlight

Mother + In + Law = Mother-In-Law

Mother + Land = Motherland

Name + Sake = Namesake

Neck + Tie = Necktie

Needle + Point = Needlepoint

New + Born = Newborn

News + Letter = Newsletter

News + Paper = Newspaper

Ninety + Nine = Ninety-Nine

No + Body = Nobody

Nose + Bleed = Nosebleed

Note + Book = Notebook

Note + Worthy = Noteworthy

Out + Side = Outside

Over + Estimate = Overestimate

Pepper + Mint = Peppermint

Pillow + Case = Pillowcase 

Pony + Tail = Ponytail

Pop + Corn = Popcorn

Race + Horse = Racehorse

Rail + Road = Railroad

Rain + Bow = Rainbow

Rain + Coat = Raincoat

Rain + Storm = Rainstorm

Rain + Drop = Raindrop

Row + Boat = Rowboat

Run + Way = Runway

Safe + Guard = Safeguard 

Safe + House = Safehouse

Salt + Water = Saltwater 

Scare + Crow = Scarecrow

School + House = Schoolhouse

Short + Term = Short-Term

Show + Lace = Shoelace

Skate + Board = Skateboard

Smart + Phone = Smartphone

Snow + Storm = Snowstorm

Soft + Ball = Softball

Some + Where = Somewhere

Sound + Proof = Soundproof

Space + Ship = Spaceship

Spear + Mint = Spearmint

Stair + Case = Staircase

Star + Fish = Starfish

Star + Light = Starlight

Sting + Ray = Stingray

Straw + Berry = Strawberry

Sub + Way = Subway

Sun + Burn = Sunburn

Sun + Flower = Sunflower

Sun + Glasses = Sunglasses

Sun + Ray = Sunray

Sun + Roof = Sunroof

Sun + Shine = Sunshine

Super + Man = Superman

Super + Star = Superstar

Table + Spoon = Tablespoon

Tad + Pole = Tadpole

Tail + Bone = Tailbone

Take + Out = Takeout

Tea + Cup = Teacup

Tea + Spoon = Teaspoon

Text + Book = Textbook

Throw + Back = Throwback

Thunder + Storm = Thunderstorm

Tooth + Brush = Toothbrush

Tooth + Paste = Toothpaste

Tug + Boat = Tugboat

Tupper + Ware = Tupperware

Two + Fold = Two-fold

Under + Ground = Underground

Up + Stream = Upstream

Upper + Class + Man = Upperclassman

Waste + Basket = Wastebasket

Water + Body = Waterbody

Water + Melon = Watermelon

Water + Proof = Waterproof

Wheel + Chair = Wheelchair

With + Out = Without

Work + Boats = Workboats

Work + Sheet = Worksheet

You can also take advantage of the online games available through SplashLearn to teach through gamified learning.

Check out our extensive library of amazing reading games you can play with your students!

Exploring fun ways of teaching compound words to kids

Teachers should look for two essential elements when explaining compound words to students; you should remember to explain that compound words can have new meanings when connecting two smaller words.

You should also clarify that complex words can be three words coming together to form a new word. Compound words can be multi-syllable, but not all multi-syllable words are compound words. This should help kids understand what they are without feeling confused.

Compound words for kids can be complicated to pick up through verbal instructions alone. You can focus on games, puzzles, toys, and exercises to get kids to understand the utility and versatility of compound words.

By reading through books and short stories, your students may already be familiar with, you can ask kids to identify compound words within the text. This will help them understand why we use compound words in English and how they impact contextualization and structuring.

You can make poems and songs on compound words and use songs to help kids enjoy learning about compound words naturally. You can also bring props to demonstrate which words are compound words and which aren’t. 

You can print out compound words on paper in a nice bold font and have your students cut in the middle of the compound word to create two words. If your students understand compound words correctly, they should be able to cut the compound word’s original root words.

You can play a game with your students to help them understand compound words better. By giving them two options and asking them to figure out whether they are compound words or not, you can test their abilities organically. You can also provide references and compound word list examples.

You can prepare a deck of single words printed onto cards and present them to your classroom. They need to match the correct pairs together to form a compound word. You can also do this activity with hyphenated words by giving them extra cards representing a dash.

This gives your students a kinesthetic way of learning about compound words through painting. Your students can paint out the compound word based on the prompt shared with them. E.g., they can be given sun + screen, and they must draw a tube of sunscreen.

Related Reading: How Can Teachers Help English Language Learners

Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)

Can you use flashcards to teach compound words ?

Yes, flashcards are an effective way to teach compound words to kids. You can print them out as a teaching tool when exploring complex compound words.

Why do kids need to learn compound words?

The etymology and utility of compound words are essential to teaching kids to make them more comfortable with speaking, understanding, writing, and listening to the English language.

How to introduce compound words to young kids?

You can introduce compound words to kids through multiple strategies, such as with toys, props, storytelling, and games.

Compound Words For Kids: Tips And Activities

What do you get when you put foot and ball together? Football! This is an example of a compound word, and as your child continues to build their vocabulary, it’s essential to introduce them to compound words for kids.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to form a compound word and how to help your child identify them in a sentence. We’ll also compare the different types and share some fun activities for your young learner to practice their new vocabulary skills.

What Is A Compound Word?

In the football example above, we combined two small words (foot + ball) to form a new one. This is the essence of a compound word: a word formed by combing two smaller words.

There are also compounds made of three words (for example: heretofore, nevertheless, highwaymen). But for now, it is best to stick to two-word compounds.

Why is it important to know how to appropriately form compound words? Well, combining words in a compound form creates an entirely different meaning than the meaning of the two original words.

For example, when you combine run (a pace) and way (direction), you get runway (an airplane landing strip or fashion walkway). This is an important distinction.

Identifying Compound Words

While compound words have multiple syllables, not all multi-syllable words are compound words.

The best way to check if a word is a compound word is to see if you can break it down into separate words. If you can, then it’s a compound word. If you can’t, then it’s not.

Let’s test this out using the words below:

• Doctor
• Family
• Moonwalk

Is doctor a compound word? Though this word has two syllables, it doesn’t qualify as a compound word because you can’t break it down into separate words.

What about the word family? This word has three syllables. However, it can’t be categorized as a compound word because, just like doctor, it isn’t made up of separate words.

Is moonwalk a compound word? Moon + walk = moonwalk. So, yes! This is a compound word.

You can apply this test to any word to see if it meets the compound word requirements.

The 3 Types Of Compound Words

There are three different types of compound words: closed, open, and hyphenated.

• Closed compound words are created when two separate words form a single new word. For example, note + book = notebook.
• Open compound words are also created from two separate words. However, the words are still separated. For example, dining + room = dining room, or ice + cream = ice cream.
• As the name suggests, hyphenated compound words are connected by a hyphen. For example, long + term = long-term, or mother + in + law = mother-in-law.

While this may seem like a lot to teach, don’t worry. There’s no need to explain the three different types to your child. At this stage of their learning journey, the focus will be on closed compound words only.

Compound Words For Kids

There are hundreds of compound words for kids to learn. Here are a few to help you get started:

• Fire + Fighter = Firefighter
• Super + Hero = Superhero
• Snow + Ball = Snowball
• Note + Book = Notebook
• Rail + Road = Railroad
• Under + Ground = Underground
• In + Side = Inside
• Mail + Box = Mailbox
• Break + Fast = Breakfast
• Sun + Flower = Sunflower
• Tooth + Brush = Toothbrush
• Rain + Coat = Raincoat
• Lip + Stick = Lipstick
• Cat + Fish = Catfish
• Bird + House = Birdhouse
• Arm + Pit = Armpit
• Work + Sheet = Worksheet
• Stair + Case = Staircase
• Some + Where = Somewhere
• Butter + Fly = Butterfly
• Sun + Glasses = Sunglasses
• Grand + Parents = Grandparents
• Text + Book = Textbook
• Cup + Cake = Cupcake
• Day + Dream = Daydream
• Book + Case = Bookcase

Activities That Teach Compound Words For Kids

1) Reverse The Word Order

What You’ll Need:

• Index cards
• Markers
• A list of reversible compound words

What To Do:

To get started, write one half of your compound word on a single index card and the other half on another. This means that each word will have two separate cards.

As the name suggests, this game requires reversible compound words. For instance, sleepover — oversleep.

If you can’t think of any right now, here’s a list to get you started:

• Sleepover
• Lookout
• Breakout

After writing the compound word parts on your two index cards, help your child read them out loud and take time to explain any word they may not understand. Then, lay the cards down, facing up.

The goal of Reverse The Word Order is simple: Reverse the order of the compound word.

Have your child look at the two parts of the reversible compound word that you laid down and read the cards together. Then, have them move the first card to the other side to make the second compound word and read it out loud.

If your child has trouble reading the words, don’t worry; they can still play! Simply read the words for them or help your child read them, and then continue as instructed above.

As a simpler alternative, you can also say a compound word backward and have your child try to say it forward. For example, if you say, “What is corn pop?”, they would answer, “Popcorn.”

This shows your child that each of these compound words can change into new words with entirely different meanings, depending on the order.

Completing this exercise will help your child understand the importance of word order in a compound word. For example, breakout and outbreak have completely different meanings, even though they are made up of the same letters and words.

As a simpler alternative, Say a compound word backwards and your child tries to say it forwards. What is corn pop? popcorn. What is boat life? Life boat.

This is also a great phonological awareness game. Phonological awareness refers to the skills a child needs to use while reading. In essence, it is understanding sounds in our language and how they relate to each other.

Phonological awareness plays a major role in early childhood literacy, and this game can help your child develop this important skill.

2) Image/ Word Match

What You’ll Need:

• Index cards
• Marker
• A list of compound words (you can use any of the words from the above “Compound Words For Kids” list)
• Pencil

What To Do:

With your child, write and draw the list of compound words on separate index cards. Write one half of the word in text and draw the other half as an image. For example, from the word pancake, one index card will have pan written out, and the other will have a drawing of a cake.

Next, lay your cards facing down (grid style).

To play, you and your child will take turns flipping two cards over at a time. (Think of the game Memory.) The goal is to find one card with a picture and another with a word to create a compound word.

When it’s your turn, if you find two cards that make up a compound word, you earn a point. If you don’t, you’ll have to wait for your next turn to try again. After 10 turns each, the player with the most points wins.

This game helps children develop segmentation skills. It also reinforces the concept that compound words are made from two separate words joined together.

For example, they may learn that the same cake from pancake can also form cupcake, cheesecake, etc.

3) Draw The Compound Word

What You’ll Need:

• Sheet of paper
• Index cards
• Marker
• Pencil
• Crayons
• A list of compound words (you can use any of the words from the above “Compound Words For Kids” list)

What To Do:

Sometimes, just understanding that a compound word is made up of two separate words can be hard to grasp for kids. This activity helps you demonstrate the concept in a fun and creative way.

Start by giving your child five compound words, and have them write the words down on a sheet of paper (with your help if needed). At this stage, your child will view the words as a whole.

Next, help your child separate the compound words by asking them to draw something that represents the two words that make up the compound word on each index card.

For example, from the word fireman, your child can draw one image of a fire and another of a man.

This isn’t a drawing competition, so don’t pay too much attention to how the images look. Instead, focus more on your child’s understanding of the separate words that make up the compound words.

4) Compound Word Creation

What You’ll Need:

• Index cards
• Marker
• A list of 5 compound words

What To Do:

Start by separating compound words into their two smaller words, and then have your child write each word on a separate card. While they are writing, encourage them to read the words out loud for practice.

Here’s a list of compound words you can use for this game:

• Goldfish
• Bookworm
• Superstar
• Rainbow
• Pancake
• Popcorn
• Butterfly
• Jellybean
• Moonlight
• Ladybug

After writing and reading the words, mix the cards up. Then, have your child pick two cards and make a brand new compound word. For example, from gold/fish, your child can create a new word — bookfish.

Note: The word doesn’t have to be “correct” — any two card combinations will do for this activity.

Let’s Make Some Compound Words!

Teaching compound words to kids is a great way to help them grow their vocabulary. If you’re working on this concept with your young learner, remember the fundamental rule: a compound word is made of two (or more) smaller words.

By using the activities above, you can help your child grasp compound words with ease!

Whether you decide to try out some or all of the games we recommend, be patient. Learning something new can take time, but with lots of practice, your child will eventually understand this new way to combine words!

Looking for even more ideas? Check out our Learn & Grow app for continued ways to support early childhood literacy.

Author

Speech therapy lesson for children 6-7 years old with OHP on the topic "Formation of compound words"

Synopsis speech therapy lesson on the formation lexical and grammatical representations on the topic: Formation of compound words.

Thread : Education difficult words.

Group children according to the structure of speech disorders: ONR.

Priority educational activity: "Speech development". nine0005

Integration educational areas: "Speech development", "Cognitive development", "Social and communicative development", "Physical development".

Purpose : formation of compound words.

Tasks: correctional and educational: nine0004 learn to highlight by ear complex words from poems and tongue-twisters; develop skill recognize words by their interpretation; to form the skill of composing complex words by merging two bases; exercise in the independent formation of complex words with the help of supporting words; to consolidate the ability to divide complex words into two parts; enrich children's active vocabulary, learn to use complex words in speech; nine0003 correctional and developmental : development attention, memory, visual and auditory perception; development of speech coordination with movement; educational: nine0004 cultivate the ability to listen to each other's answers; educate cognitive interest in the native language.