Free Second Grade Spelling Worksheets — Dolch, Fry & Word Families
The words a second grader is expected to spell, free to print: all 46 Dolch second-grade words, Fry's second hundred, and ten second-grade word families. Print the list itself, or turn any set into word family practice, fill-in-the-blank, or alphabetical order pages. Answer key included, no signup.
Aligned to CCSS L.2.2d (generalize spelling patterns) & RF.2.3b (common vowel teams)
Practices CCSS RF.2.3f
Word family practice uses the word families set.
Spelling — Dolch Second Grade
Word List · Aligned to CCSS RF.2.3f
Name: ___________________________ Date: _____________
Read each word. Check the box once you can spell it without looking.
More 2nd Grade Worksheets
Word Family Practice
A word family gives a child a dozen words for the price of one pattern, which is what CCSS L.2.2dmeans by generalizing a learned spelling pattern. The ten families here are the second-grade step up from first grade’s short-vowel families: the vowel teams -ail, -ain, -eat, -oat (CCSS RF.2.3b), the -ight pattern, the diphthongs -oil and -own, and the r-controlled -ound, -ark, -orn. In the Word Family Practice format each row names a family and gives one example — your child writes three more. Say the family out loud first (“ail… mail, sail, tail”) so they hear the rime before they spell it. If the sounds are still shaky, back up to first grade phonics and build the pattern by ear first.
Fill-in-the-Blank
Fill-in-the-blank is where spelling gets tested rather than copied. On the word family set the blank falls on the pattern itself — m__l for mail, r__ndfor round — so the child has to recall which vowel team makes the sound. On the Dolch and Fry sets there is no pattern to reason from (that’s what makes them sight words), so the blank takes letters from the middle of the word and the word bank at the bottom of the page does the rest. Print it with the answer key on, then hand the key to an older sibling and let them mark it. For the same drill with first-grade CVC and silent-e words, use our 1st grade spelling worksheets.
Alphabetical Order
Putting words in ABC order is the skill behind CCSS L.2.2e — consulting a beginning dictionary to check a spelling. A child who cannot alphabetize cannot look a word up. The Alphabetical Order format scrambles the words you picked into a word bank and gives numbered lines below. Start with words that differ on the first letter; once that is easy, generate a fresh page until you get words that share one (been, before, best, both) and force the comparison to the second and third letter. The same set of words appears in our 2nd grade sight words worksheets, so a word your child alphabetizes on Monday can be a flash card on Tuesday.
FAQ
What spelling words should a 2nd grader know?
Second-grade spelling has two halves. The first is high-frequency words that have to be memorized: the 46-word Dolch second-grade list (always, around, because, been, before, best, both, buy…) and Fry's second hundred (words 101–200). The second is spelling patterns — Common Core L.2.2d asks second graders to generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words, and RF.2.3b adds the common vowel teams. That means word families like -ail, -eat, -ight, -ound and -orn. This page prints both: the full word lists, and practice pages built from the patterns.
How many spelling words should we practice at a time?
Ten to twelve words is a practical week's worth — enough to cover one pattern or one slice of a sight word list without turning practice into a chore. Pick the count with the control above, print a fresh set, and spread it over three or four short sessions rather than one long one.
What is the difference between the Dolch and Fry lists?
Both rank the most common words in English. Dolch lists are grouped by grade, and the second-grade set is 46 words. Fry's "Instant Words" are ranked purely by frequency in hundreds — the second hundred (101–200) is the band schools usually assign in second grade. The two lists overlap, so a child who knows one is well on the way to the other.
What are second grade word families?
A word family is a group of words that share the same ending sound and spelling — rain, main, train and chain all share -ain. Second-grade families move past the short-vowel families of first grade into vowel teams (-ail, -eat, -oat), the -ight pattern, diphthongs (-oil, -own), and r-controlled endings (-ark, -orn). Learning the family means learning a dozen words at once, which is exactly what CCSS L.2.2d means by generalizing a spelling pattern.
Are these spelling worksheets free?
Yes — free, no signup, no email. Pick a word set and a format, generate a fresh randomized page, and print it or download the PDF. The answer key prints on its own page.