2nd Grade Spelling Words
130+ essential spelling words for second graders (ages 7–8) — Dolch sight words, long vowel teams, r-controlled vowels, suffixes, and compound words.
What Spelling Skills Do 2nd Graders Learn?
Second grade is a pivotal year where spelling moves beyond simple phonics into pattern recognition. Students who master 2nd grade patterns develop the instincts that make spelling feel intuitive rather than memorized. By the end of 2nd grade, a typical student should be able to:
Dolch 2nd Grade Sight Words (46 Words)
The Dolch 2nd grade list completes the core sight word sequence. Children who can read and spell all 220 Dolch words across all levels can decode roughly 75% of words they encounter in everyday text — a massive unlock for reading fluency.
Practice Tip: "Don't" and "would" trip up many 2nd graders because of their irregular spellings. Teach them as a pair — "would, could, should all end in -ould" — and drill them slightly more often than the rest of the list.
Long Vowel Teams (30 Words)
Long vowel teams are two vowels that appear together to make a single long vowel sound. The old rhyme "when two vowels go walking, the first one does the talking" is a useful memory hook — though it has exceptions. Here are the three most common 2nd grade teams:
ai usually comes in the middle of a word; ay usually comes at the end.
Both make the same long-e sound. When in doubt, try ea first — it is more common.
oa appears in the middle of words; ow often appears at the end.
Practice Tip: Sort word cards into team groups (ai vs ay, ee vs ea). The physical act of sorting reinforces which pattern belongs where. SpellCrush's pattern-based practice lets you drill one team at a time until it's solid.
R-Controlled Vowels (30 Words)
When a vowel is followed by the letter R, the R "controls" the vowel sound — changing it to something that isn't quite long or short. These are some of the trickiest patterns in 2nd grade because they don't follow the rules children already know.
Practice Tip: The er/ir/ur group all make the same sound ("her," "bird," "turn" sound identical). Teach children to recognize the context — "er" is by far the most common ending; "ir" and "ur" appear in the middle of words most often.
Common Suffixes: -ing, -ed, -er / -est (30 Words)
Suffixes are the first real "spelling rules" 2nd graders encounter. Learning how base words change when suffixes are added — especially the doubling rule and the drop-the-e rule — gives children a systematic tool they'll use for the rest of their spelling career.
Drop the final e before adding -ing (make → making). Double the final consonant for short-vowel words (run → running).
Adds past tense. Sounds like /d/, /t/, or /id/ depending on the base word — but always spelled -ed.
Comparatives and superlatives. Double the consonant for short-vowel base words (big → bigger → biggest).
Practice Tip: The doubling rule trips up even strong spellers. Make it a chant: "short vowel, one consonant — double it! Long vowel or two consonants — leave it!" Practice with minimal pairs: hop → hopping vs hope → hoping.
Compound Words (12 Words)
Compound words are two smaller words joined to make a new word. Once children grasp this concept, they become much more confident spellers — if you can spell both parts, you can spell the whole thing.
Practice Tip: Play "compound word builder" — write a word like "sun" on a card and challenge your child to find a second word that attaches to it. How many compounds can they find? (sunshine, sunburn, sunflower, sunlight...)
Practice All These Patterns on SpellCrush
SpellCrush automatically selects words that match your child's current level and drills the patterns they struggle with most. Kids earn XP, streaks, and rewards that keep them coming back daily.
Start Free Practice →Weekly Practice Schedule for 2nd Graders
At 7–8 years old, children can handle slightly longer sessions and benefit from understanding the "why" behind spelling rules. Mixing digital practice with hands-on activities works best:
Frequently Asked Questions
How many spelling words should a 2nd grader know?
By the end of 2nd grade, children should have mastered all 220 Dolch sight words (pre-primer through 2nd grade) and be able to spell common long-vowel and r-controlled vowel words. A strong 2nd grader can spell 200–300 words reliably.
What new spelling patterns do 2nd graders learn?
2nd grade introduces long vowel teams (ai, ay, ee, ea, oa, ow), r-controlled vowels (ar, er, ir, or, ur), common suffixes (-ing, -ed, -er, -est, -ly), compound words, and silent letter patterns (kn-, wr-, -mb).
My 2nd grader struggles with the doubling rule. Any tips?
This is one of the most commonly struggled patterns. The key is to make the vowel sound the trigger: short vowel + single consonant = double before adding -ing or -ed (hop → hopping). Long vowel = no doubling (hope → hoping). Practice with minimal pairs until the pattern clicks.
What are the Dolch 2nd grade sight words?
The 46 Dolch 2nd grade words are: always, around, because, been, before, best, both, buy, call, cold, does, don't, fast, first, five, found, gave, goes, green, its, made, many, off, or, pull, read, right, sing, sit, sleep, tell, their, these, those, upon, us, use, very, wash, which, why, wish, work, would, write, your.
How long should spelling practice be for a 2nd grader?
10–15 minutes per day is ideal for 7–8 year olds. Variety keeps motivation high — mix SpellCrush practice, writing sentences, and word-sorting games across the week.
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