The Little Words: the, a, and, to

Read the four most common words in English quickly and correctly.

Four tiny words appear more than almost any others: 'the', 'a', 'and', and 'to'. In a sentence, we usually say 'the' quickly, like 'thuh'. The word 'a' usually sounds like 'uh' too. 'And' is easy to sound out: a-n-d.

'To' is a heart word, because the o says /oo/, not /o/. Read this: 'The boy and a dog ran to the park. ' Notice how these little words hold the sentence together. Practice them until your eyes jump right over them.

• 1the, a, and, to are the most common words.
• 2'the' and 'a' are said quickly.
• 3In 'to', the o says /oo/.