Word lists · grades 1–5
Spelling Words for Every Grade
Forty lists grouped by pattern, because rain, train, paint is much easier to learn together than ten random words.
What each grade works on
| Grade | Patterns | Example words |
|---|---|---|
| 1st grade | Short a, Short e and i, Short o and u, sh, ch and th… | cat, bed, hot, ship, stop, back |
| 2nd grade | Long a: ai and ay, Long e: ee and ea, Long o: oa and ow, Long i: igh and y… | rain, tree, boat, night, car, her |
| 3rd grade | ou and ow (as in cloud, cow), oi and oy, Soft c and soft g, Plurals: -s, -es, -ies… | cloud, coin, city, boxes, unhappy, careful |
| 4th grade | -tion and -sion, Consonant + -le, Irregular past tense, Contractions… | action, table, thought, can't, rabbit, believe |
| 5th grade | -able and -ible, -ance and -ence, Greek roots: graph, phon, tele, auto, Latin roots: port, rupt, struct, spect… | comfortable, importance, photograph, transport, chocolate, necessary |
Why lists are grouped by pattern
Kids don't learn spelling one word at a time. They learn patterns. Once a child sees that night, light, right share -igh, they can spell bright and fright without ever practising them. Each list here teaches one pattern, plus a few heart words that break the rules.
Got a list from school instead? Paste it into the list maker and play that.
Questions
How many spelling words should a child learn each week?
Most classes do 10 to 15: about 10 in 1st grade and 12 to 20 by 5th. Fewer words practised well beats more words skimmed.
What if my child's school uses a different list?
Use the school list. The list maker turns any list into the full game.
Is the spelling game really free?
Yes. The whole game plays free in your browser, with no signup, no ads and no time limit. The Spellcove app is the paid version for iPhone and iPad. It adds every word read aloud, offline play and a parent progress view.
Take the cove with you
The Spellcove app has everything you can play here, plus the parts that need a real app: every word read aloud so kids can practice alone, offline play for car rides, a parent view of which words have stuck, and the full treasure collection.
Coming soon on theApp Store