3rd Grade Spelling Games
Third grade words get longer, and their parts start to carry meaning. Our 3rd grade list covers the prefixes un-, re-, pre- and dis-, homophones like there and their, three-syllable words such as remember and beautiful, and the Latin roots port, rupt and struct. The games below mix spelling with meaning, so unhappy is learned as un + happy rather than seven letters in a row.
Ages 8–9FreeNo sign-upNo adsRead aloud
Games that play the 3rd grade list
Memory Match
Brain warmup · Ages 4+
A spoken word can't tell there from their, but a meaning card can. Matching list words to their meanings ties each spelling, and each prefix, to what it means.
Spell Cast
Spelling RPG · Ages 6+
Three-syllable words like remember and adventure make strong incantations. Your child hears the word, types it, and the spell only fires if every letter is right.
Spelling Quiz
Pick the spelling · Ages 5+
Words like caught, believe and island are where 3rd graders write something that looks almost right. The quiz shows the real spelling beside those near-misses.
Treasure Tower
Press your luck · Ages 7+
Each word spelled right climbs a floor and doubles the pot. Latin-root words like transport and interrupt make every floor a real decision: climb, or cash out?
Spell Dash
Rhythm runner · Ages 7+
In a prefix word the first forks are the prefix (d, i, s before agree), so your child picks the parts in order, at running speed.
Spell Crush
Match 3 · Ages 5+
Longer words mean more letters to pop. With no timer and no lives, a long word like chocolate or hospital gets the time it needs.
Also try: Chunk Stack builds words from prefixes and suffixes like un-, re- and -ing, from its own chunk bank rather than this list, so it has no list button here.
What's on the 3rd grade list
Six groups. The prefixes and Latin roots are the new idea this year: a word is built from parts, and each part means something.
Dolch third grade sight words
41 wordsaboutbetterbringlaughmyselftogether…
Prefixes: un-, re-, pre-, dis-
24 wordsunhappyrebuildpreviewdisagreedislike…
Homophones
18 wordstheretheirtotootwohearhere…
Three-syllable words
12 wordsimportantbeautifulrememberdifferentchocolate…
Latin roots: port, rupt, struct
18 wordstransportportableeruptinterruptstructure…
Common 3rd grade words
40 wordsanswerbelievecaughtenoughislandlanguage…
Questions parents ask
Which game helps with homophones?
Memory Match. Spoken aloud, there and their are the same word; on a meaning card they aren't. The list opens in Words and Definitions mode, so your child matches each spelling to its meaning. The 3rd grade word page has a memory trick for each pair.
Does my 3rd grader need to know what prefixes mean?
It helps more than memorizing letters. Un- means not and re- means again, so unhappy and rebuild spell themselves once the base word is known. The meaning cards in Memory Match practice that link.
How long should a 3rd grader play?
Ten to fifteen minutes on most days. Spell Cast and Treasure Tower both have a built-in ending, a boss fight and a cash-out, and guests get three runs of each a day, which is a sensible cap anyway.
Why is Chunk Stack listed without a play button?
Chunk Stack only builds words that are in its own chunk bank, and very few 3rd grade list words are in it, so a round would be almost all other words. It still suits this age, so it's under Also try with its usual words.
Keep your 3rd grader's progress
Every game on this page is free without an account. With a free account the Spelling Quiz has no daily limit, and Spot the Spelling inside SpellCrush picks words at your child's level and saves their progress.
Create a free accountNo credit card. The games stay free either way.