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Spelling Bee Words
Spelling bee word lists for grades 1 through 8. Search a grade, copy it, print a practice sheet, or call one word at a time with a sentence.
Grade
Short vowels, CVC words, blends, and digraphs
Shows words in this grade that contain those letters.
View
Practice sheet length
Grade 1: 40 words.
Grade 1
40 words
- catA small furry pet that meows.
- dogA pet animal that barks.
- sunThe star that gives Earth daylight.
- bedA piece of furniture used for sleeping.
- pigA farm animal with a snout and a curly tail.
- hopTo jump, especially on one foot.
- cupA small open container used for drinking.
- hatA covering worn on the head.
- sitTo rest upright on a chair or the ground.
- redThe color of a ripe apple.
- mapA drawing that shows where places are.
- penA tool that writes with ink.
- bugA small insect.
- fishAn animal that lives in water and has fins and gills.
- shipA large boat that travels on the sea.
- frogA small animal with long back legs that lives near water.
- milkA white liquid from mammals that people drink.
- nestA home a bird builds for its eggs.
- stopTo halt movement.
- jumpTo push off the ground and rise into the air.
- flagA cloth with a design that stands for a group or country.
- drumA musical instrument played by striking a stretched skin.
- bellA hollow metal object that rings when struck.
- crabA shelled animal with claws that lives in or near water.
- plugA piece that connects a cord to an electrical outlet.
- sandTiny loose grains of rock, common on beaches.
- tentA portable shelter made of cloth and poles.
- clockA device that shows the time.
- brickA hard rectangular block used to build walls.
- chopTo cut into pieces with a quick blow.
- thatA word used to point out a specific person or thing.
- thinHaving little thickness.
- wishTo hope for something.
- deskA table made for writing or schoolwork.
- lampA device that gives light.
- swimTo move through water by using the body.
- clapTo strike the palms of the hands together.
- dropTo let something fall.
- grinA wide smile.
- luckSuccess that comes by chance.
Spelling Bee Words gives teachers a classroom list for grades 1 through 8, with 40 common English words in each grade. Every word includes a short definition and a sentence you can read aloud. Grade 1 stays with short vowels and simple consonant patterns, and each later grade steps up through longer words until grade 8, which uses academic vocabulary from science, math, and history. Choose a grade to study the list, copy it, print a practice sheet, or switch to call words and move through the list one word at a time.
A word list for each grade
Choose a grade from 1 through 8. Each grade holds 40 common English words, a short definition, and a sentence you can read aloud. Grade 1 uses short vowels and simple patterns such as cat, ship, and jump. Later grades step up through long vowels, silent letters, prefixes, and suffixes, and grade 8 uses longer academic words such as fluorescent and bureaucracy.
The search box keeps the words in that grade that contain the letters you type, so you can pull every word with tion or igh. Copy list puts the words on screen onto the clipboard as a numbered list.
Call words or print a practice sheet
Call words shows one word in large type, with its sentence and definition underneath. Previous and Next walk through the grade in order: say the word, read the sentence, and say the word again. Print word list opens a study page of the words and definitions. Print practice sheet picks 10 or 20 words at random and opens a numbered page of blank lines, with the words and sentences on a teacher key.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many words are in each grade?
Each grade from 1 through 8 has 40 words. The full set is 320 words. A search shows fewer when you are looking for one letter pattern.
How do I run a spelling bee with this page?
Pick the grade, switch to Call words, and read the word, the sentence, and the word again. Next moves to the following word, and Previous goes back. The definition is there if a student asks what the word means.
What does the practice sheet include?
Print practice sheet draws 10 or 20 words at random from the grade, or from the words that match your search. The first page is numbered blank lines for students to write on. The teacher key starts on the second page.
Can I print the whole list?
Yes. Print word list opens a page of every word currently on screen, with its definition. When a search is filled in, the page includes the matching words.
Do the lists get harder in the upper grades?
Yes. Grade 1 uses short-vowel words such as cat, ship, and jump. Grades 2 and 3 add long vowels, silent letters, and common prefixes. Grades 4 through 8 move into longer subject words from reading, math, science, and history.