• 250 words

3rd Grade Spelling Words

Spelling words for third graders: choose a list, press Start test, and type each word after hearing its sentence.

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The 10 words of this list. Add or change any. For your own list, press Clear first.

For a sentence, put it after a colon: rain: The rain fell all day. Up to 40 words.

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List 1: plurals that change y to ies

Words to learn. Read each word, cover it, write it, then check it.

  1. 1.babiesBoth babies slept all afternoon.
  2. 2.puppiesThree puppies played in the yard.
  3. 3.ladiesTwo ladies sat on the park bench.
  4. 4.penniesI found five pennies under the couch.
  5. 5.berriesWe picked berries for a pie.
  6. 6.familiesFour families live on our street.
  7. 7.storiesMy aunt writes stories about dragons.
  8. 8.butterfliesButterflies landed on the purple flowers.
  9. 9.librariesBoth libraries close at six.
  10. 10.countriesCanada and Mexico are countries.

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Each word is read aloud, then used in a sentence. Type what you hear. The marks come at the end.

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Accents do not count: café may be typed as cafe, and the marks show how it is written.

Only voices built into this device are used, so the words are not sent to a speech service to be read. With no voice, a person reads the words from the last page of the test sheet.

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All 250 words

List 1: plurals that change y to ies 10

  • babies Both babies slept all afternoon.
  • berries We picked berries for a pie.
  • butterflies Butterflies landed on the purple flowers.
  • countries Canada and Mexico are countries.
  • families Four families live on our street.
  • ladies Two ladies sat on the park bench.
  • libraries Both libraries close at six.
  • pennies I found five pennies under the couch.
  • puppies Three puppies played in the yard.
  • stories My aunt writes stories about dragons.

List 2: y to i before es, ed, er and est 10

  • carried She carried the box up the steps.
  • cried I cried at the end of the movie.
  • cries The baby cries when she is hungry.
  • easier This puzzle is easier than the last one.
  • flies A hawk flies over the field.
  • happiest It was the happiest day of the summer.
  • hurried We hurried to catch the bus.
  • studied They studied for the math test.
  • tries He tries his best every day.
  • worried Mom was worried about the storm.

List 3: y to i before ness, ly and ful 10

  • angrily The goose hissed angrily at us.
  • beautiful The sunset was beautiful tonight.
  • busily Ants busily carried crumbs to the nest.
  • easily He easily jumped over the puddle.
  • happily The dog happily wagged its tail.
  • happiness Her face was full of happiness.
  • luckily Luckily, the rain stopped before recess.
  • noisily The class noisily lined up for lunch.
  • plentiful Apples are plentiful in the fall.
  • silliness The silliness stopped when the bell rang.

List 4: plurals that change f to ves 10

  • calves The calves stayed close to the cows.
  • elves The elves in the story made shoes.
  • halves Cut the apple into two halves.
  • knives Put the knives back in the drawer.
  • leaves Red leaves covered the sidewalk.
  • loaves We baked two loaves of banana bread.
  • scarves We wore hats and scarves in the snow.
  • shelves The art books go on the top shelves.
  • thieves The thieves in the story got caught.
  • wolves We heard wolves howl in the night.

List 5: irregular plurals and oes 10

  • children The children played tag at recess.
  • deer A deer stood at the edge of the woods.
  • feet My feet are cold without socks.
  • geese A line of geese crossed the road.
  • heroes The rescue dogs were heroes that day.
  • mice Two mice hid under the barn.
  • potatoes We mashed the potatoes for dinner.
  • sheep The sheep ate grass on the hill.
  • tomatoes Tomatoes grow on a vine.
  • women Two women coached the soccer team.

List 6: double the last letter 10

  • begging The dog is begging for a treat.
  • bigger An elephant is bigger than a horse.
  • cutting Dad is cutting the grass.
  • grabbed She grabbed her coat and ran out.
  • hottest This is the hottest soup I have ever tasted.
  • planned We planned a trip to the zoo.
  • shopping We went shopping for new shoes.
  • sitting The cat is sitting on the fence.
  • slipped I slipped on the wet floor.
  • thinner Slice the cheese a little thinner.

List 7: drop the e 10

  • closed The store closed at nine.
  • dancing Everyone was dancing at the party.
  • giving I am giving my sister a gift.
  • having They are having pizza for lunch.
  • hoped We hoped for snow on Friday.
  • moved My best friend moved to a new town.
  • riding He is riding his bike to school.
  • smiled The teacher smiled at the class.
  • taking I am taking my little brother to the park.
  • using She is using a ruler to draw a line.

List 8: au and aw 10

  • astronaut The astronaut floated inside the space station.
  • author The author signed my book.
  • awful The old milk smelled awful.
  • because I wore boots because it was raining.
  • crawl Most babies crawl before they walk.
  • dinosaur That dinosaur had a very long neck.
  • fault The spilled milk was not your fault.
  • laundry Fold the clean laundry, please.
  • pause Pause the movie while I get a drink.
  • sauce Pour the sauce over the pasta.

List 9: wa and wor 10

  • swamp Frogs and turtles live in the swamp.
  • wander Do not wander away from the group.
  • warm The soup will keep you warm.
  • warn Signs warn drivers about the sharp turn.
  • wash Wash the mud off your boots.
  • water Plants need water and sunlight.
  • word Say each word out loud.
  • world A globe is a model of the world.
  • worm A worm wiggled in the dirt.
  • worth The old coin is worth a lot.

List 10: ore, oar, our and oor 10

  • before Look both ways before you cross.
  • board The teacher wrote on the board.
  • court We played on the basketball court.
  • explore We will explore the trail after lunch.
  • floor Sweep the kitchen floor after dinner.
  • fourth April is the fourth month of the year.
  • pour Pour the juice into the cup.
  • roar We heard the lion roar at the zoo.
  • soar Eagles soar high above the trees.
  • store We buy milk at the corner store.

List 11: ear that sounds like er 10

  • early I woke up early this morning.
  • earn You can earn money by raking leaves.
  • earth The earth was soft after the rain.
  • earthquake The earthquake shook the dishes.
  • heard I heard a knock at the door.
  • learn We learn a new pattern each week.
  • pearl A pearl forms inside an oyster.
  • rehearse The band will rehearse after school.
  • research We did research on frogs at the library.
  • search Help me search for my lost shoe.

List 12: eigh and ei that sound like long a 10

  • eight My little sister is eight years old.
  • eighteen Nine plus nine is eighteen.
  • eighty Eighty is ten times eight.
  • freight A freight train carries goods, not people.
  • neigh I heard the horse neigh in the barn.
  • sleigh Two horses pulled the sleigh.
  • veil The bride wore a long white veil.
  • vein The nurse found a vein in my arm.
  • weigh Weigh the apples on the scale.
  • weight The shelf cannot hold that much weight.

List 13: gh that sounds like f, and ough 10

  • cough A bad cough kept me awake last night.
  • dough Roll the dough flat for the cookies.
  • enough Is there enough paper for everyone?
  • laugh That joke always makes me laugh.
  • laughter We heard laughter from the next room.
  • rough The sandpaper felt rough on my hand.
  • though He went outside even though it was cold.
  • through The train went through a tunnel.
  • tough The meat was too tough to chew.
  • trough The pigs ate from a trough.

List 14: ought and aught 10

  • bought She bought a gift for her friend.
  • brought He brought his lunch from home.
  • caught I caught the ball with one hand.
  • daughter Their daughter is in third grade.
  • fought The cats fought over the toy.
  • naughty The naughty puppy chewed my shoe.
  • ought You ought to wear a helmet.
  • sought The lost hikers sought shelter in a cave.
  • taught My aunt taught me how to swim.
  • thought I thought the test was on Friday.

List 15: silent g 10

  • align Align the numbers in neat columns.
  • assign The teacher will assign seats on Monday.
  • design We will design a poster for the fair.
  • foreign She speaks a foreign language at home.
  • gnat A gnat buzzed around my ear.
  • gnaw Beavers gnaw on tree trunks.
  • gnome A garden gnome stood by the gate.
  • reign The queen's reign lasted fifty years.
  • resign The coach chose to resign after ten years.
  • sign The stop sign is red.

List 16: silent t 10

  • castle The castle had a deep moat.
  • fasten Fasten your seat belt before we go.
  • glisten Wet rocks glisten in the sun.
  • listen Listen for the word, then type it.
  • often We often read after lunch.
  • rustle I heard leaves rustle in the wind.
  • soften Leave the butter out to soften.
  • thistle A thistle has sharp, prickly leaves.
  • whistle The referee blew the whistle.
  • wrestle The bear cubs wrestle in the grass.

List 17: silent l 10

  • calf The calf drank milk from its mother.
  • calm The lake was calm this morning.
  • chalk Draw a line on the sidewalk with chalk.
  • folk We sang a folk song in music class.
  • half Half of ten is five.
  • palm Hold the coin in your palm.
  • stalk The corn stalk was taller than me.
  • talk We can talk quietly in the hall.
  • walk I walk my dog every evening.
  • yolk The yolk is the yellow part of an egg.

List 18: silent u and silent h 10

  • guard A guard stood at the castle gate.
  • guess Guess how many beans are in the jar.
  • guest Our guest slept in the spare room.
  • guide A guide led us through the museum.
  • guilty The puppy looked guilty beside the torn pillow.
  • guitar My uncle plays the guitar.
  • honest Thank you for being honest with me.
  • hour Recess starts in one hour.
  • rhyme The words cat and hat rhyme.
  • spaghetti We had spaghetti with meatballs for dinner.

List 19: one l, not two 10

  • almost It is almost time to go home.
  • already She has already finished her book.
  • also My brother also plays the drums.
  • altogether Altogether, we collected ninety cans.
  • always I always tie my shoes before gym.
  • careful Be careful with the hot pan.
  • helpful The map was very helpful on our hike.
  • until Wait here until the bell rings.
  • useful A flashlight is useful when camping.
  • welcome We made a welcome sign for the new student.

List 20: harder contractions 10

  • couldn't I couldn't find my other sock.
  • doesn't The old clock doesn't work anymore.
  • haven't I haven't finished my homework yet.
  • shouldn't You shouldn't run near the pool.
  • they're They're waiting for us at the gate.
  • wasn't The movie wasn't very long.
  • weren't We weren't late for the bus.
  • who's Who's ready for the spelling test?
  • wouldn't The car wouldn't start this morning.
  • you're You're the first one here today.

List 21: sound-alike pairs 10

  • brake Squeeze the brake to stop the bike.
  • break Be careful not to break the glass.
  • hear I can hear the rain on the roof.
  • here Please put your backpack here.
  • hole The dog dug a hole in the yard.
  • peace We enjoyed the peace and quiet.
  • piece May I have a piece of pie?
  • plain I like plain yogurt with no fruit.
  • plane The plane landed on the runway.
  • whole He ate the whole sandwich.

List 22: number words 10

  • eleven Eleven comes right after ten.
  • fifteen Ten plus five is fifteen.
  • fifty Half of one hundred is fifty.
  • forty Four tens make forty.
  • hundred One hundred pennies make a dollar.
  • thirteen Thirteen is one more than twelve.
  • thirty Thirty minutes is half an hour.
  • thousand Ten hundreds make one thousand.
  • twelve There are twelve months in a year.
  • twenty Two tens make twenty.

List 23: words that break the rules 10

  • answer Write your answer on the line.
  • been Where have you been all day?
  • build We will build a fort with blankets.
  • busy The bees are busy in the garden.
  • buy I want to buy a new notebook.
  • different The twins wear different colors.
  • does She does her homework after dinner.
  • friend I sat next to my friend at lunch.
  • pretty The garden looks pretty in spring.
  • sugar Add one spoon of sugar to the tea.

List 24: months, January to October 10

  • April April has thirty days.
  • August August is the eighth month of the year.
  • February February has the fewest days of any month.
  • January January is the first month of the year.
  • July July has thirty-one days.
  • June June comes right before July.
  • March March comes right after February.
  • May May comes between April and June.
  • October Halloween falls at the end of October.
  • September September, the ninth month, has nine letters.

List 25: November, December, seasons and time 10

  • autumn Leaves change color in autumn.
  • December December is the last month of the year.
  • minute There are sixty seconds in a minute.
  • November November is the eleventh month of the year.
  • o'clock School starts at eight o'clock.
  • season Fall is my favorite season.
  • second Wait one second while I tie my shoe.
  • summer We swim at the lake every summer.
  • weekend We visit Grandma every weekend.
  • winter We wear heavy coats in the winter.

How it works

These 3rd grade spelling words are 250 words in 25 lists of 10, from babies in List 1 to the months in Lists 24 and 25. Forty-five sound like another word, so every word is read with its own sentence.

Read the full guide

What this third grade spelling words list covers

Lists 1 to 7 change a base word: y to ies in babies, f to ves in wolves, a doubled letter in sitting, a dropped e in smiled. Lists 8 to 14 are vowel spellings: au and aw, ear in learn, eigh in weigh, ough in rough and though, aught in caught. Lists 15 to 18 hold silent letters (sign, castle, yolk, guitar). Lists 19 to 25 add contractions, sound-alikes, numbers, rule breakers and the months.

Sound-alikes, apostrophes and capital letters

Eight and ate sound alike, so the sentence decides. Type ate after My little sister is eight years old and the results name the sound-alike. List 20 needs its apostrophes. Capitals count, under Voice, speed and marking, starts ticked, so February needs its capital.

  • A y after a consonant turns into ies (baby, babies). After a vowel it stays, as in keys and toys.
  • Forty (List 22) drops the u of four. Fourth (List 10) keeps it.
  • These grade 3 spelling words suit Canada. Under Edit this list, reword the color and favorite sentences (Lists 23, 25).

Questions and answers

Are these spelling words for 8 year olds?

Third graders are usually 8 or 9, and the grade is only our suggestion. For a gentler start open Lists 6 and 7, built on short base words: sit, cut, smile, hope. The hardest words are in Lists 12 to 15: freight, trough, sought, foreign.

Why are hear and here both on this list of spelling words for 3rd graders?

List 21 is five sound-alike pairs, and both halves are test words: hear and here, whole and hole, piece and peace, plain and plane, break and brake. Only the sentence says which to type. Type it and press Enter, or tap Next word.

How are spelling words for 3rd grade harder than 2nd grade?

2nd grade spells sounds: ai, igh, oi. 3rd grade changes whole words: y to ies, a doubled letter, a dropped e, and 45 sound-alikes against 29. If Lists 6 and 7 are a struggle, go back to 2nd grade List 17, adding ed and ing.

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