North Carolina Foundations of Reading Practice Test

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Prepare for the North Carolina Foundations of Reading Test. Study with interactive flashcards, multiple choice questions, hints, and detailed explanations. Master reading concepts and excel in your exam!

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What are sight words characterized by?

Words with simple spelling patterns
Words that are commonly used but have irregular spelling
Complex academic vocabulary
Words that purely consist of consonants

The correct answer is: Words that are commonly used but have irregular spelling

Sight words are characterized by being commonly used words that often do not follow standard phonetic rules, resulting in irregular spelling. This means that while they are frequently encountered in reading and writing, they may not be easy to decode using conventional phonics skills. Examples of sight words include "the," "said," "come," and "was," which don't fit typical spelling patterns and thus need to be recognized by sight rather than sounded out. Recognizing sight words quickly can significantly improve reading fluency and comprehension, as these words make up a large portion of any text. Other options may refer to aspects of vocabulary or spelling, but they do not accurately capture the essence of sight words. For instance, words with simple spelling patterns might be more phonetic and easy to sound out, while complex academic vocabulary is typically not encountered frequently enough to be classified as sight words. The notion of words that purely consist of consonants is misleading, as sight words often include vowels and follow various spelling conventions. Thus, the definition of sight words primarily relates to their frequency of use and irregular spelling.