Why Do Some Kids Mix Up Words When Reading?

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Does your child or student ever read “where” instead of “were”? Or “angle” instead of “angel”? Many teachers assume it’s carelessness or just reading too fast. But often, it’s something called letter transposition. This is when a child mixes up the order of letters inside a word.

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This is especially common in students with dyslexia, ADHD, or visual processing challenges, and it can be intensified by visual crowding (when text is dense or tightly spaced). Instead of fully decoding the word, the brain will retrieve a familiar-looking word instead.

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These aren’t just simple letter reversals. They are real vocabulary words that look and sound similar, but mean very different things.

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Over years of working with neurodivergent learners, I started noticing patterns. Certain word pairs kept showing up in reading and writing confusion. These are words most teachers (including me, early on) were never taught to watch for. So I created this list.

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Inside the free download, you’ll get:

• 118 commonly misread or misunderstood words to review with students

• High-impact vocabulary words that often causes hidden comprehension gaps

• A free online game to practice Pair or No Pair

 

Pro Tip: Students should always read the words aloud and explain the meaning. You’ll be surprised how often pronunciation and understanding don’t match what they see on the page.