Which type of words often appears in printed text and can be either regular or irregular?

High frequency words are those that appear frequently in written text, making them essential for developing reading fluency. These words can be regular or irregular. Regular high frequency words follow standard phonetic patterns, allowing them to be decoded easily, while irregular high frequency words do not conform to typical phonetic rules and must be recognized by sight.

These words help young readers gain confidence and improve their reading speed, as they don't need to decode every word. Recognizing high frequency words can assist in understanding text as a whole, which is a crucial skill in reading comprehension.

The other options focus on specific types or characteristics of words that do not encompass the broad frequency aspect of high frequency words. Phonograms refer specifically to letter combinations that represent sounds, while onset words pertain to the initial consonant sounds of syllables, and irregular words refer only to those that cannot be phonetically decoded. High frequency words encompass a wider range of commonly used words, making them fundamental to early literacy.