• 70 words
  • Checked October 2026

Groundhog Day Spelling Words

Groundhog Day words for February 2, from den and nap to hibernation and Punxsutawney, in three levels.

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List 1: Groundhog Day in ten words

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

  1. 1.groundhogThe groundhog poked its head out at dawn.
  2. 2.shadowThe shadow of the stump reached the fence.
  3. 3.burrowThe animal slipped back into its burrow.
  4. 4.winterSix more weeks of winter may follow.
  5. 5.FebruaryGroundhog Day comes early in February.
  6. 6.forecastThe forecast calls for clouds at dawn.
  7. 7.hibernateGroundhogs hibernate in a winter burrow.
  8. 8.springNo shadow means an early spring.
  9. 9.weatherNobody can order the weather.
  10. 10.predictCan an animal predict the seasons?

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Next step Solve a Groundhog Day word search nextUnscramble February words

All 70 words

List 1: Groundhog Day in ten words 10

  • burrow The animal slipped back into its burrow.
  • February Groundhog Day comes early in February.
  • forecast The forecast calls for clouds at dawn.
  • groundhog The groundhog poked its head out at dawn.
  • hibernate Groundhogs hibernate in a winter burrow.
  • predict Can an animal predict the seasons?
  • shadow The shadow of the stump reached the fence.
  • spring No shadow means an early spring.
  • weather Nobody can order the weather.
  • winter Six more weeks of winter may follow.

Level 1, List 2: short words 10

  • den The den stays dark all day.
  • doze It will doze for a few more weeks.
  • hole It backed slowly into the hole.
  • mud Mud stuck to its front feet.
  • nap A very long nap ended this morning.
  • paw One paw brushed the dirt away.
  • sky Look up and check the sky.
  • snug The nest was dry and snug.
  • sun The sun came out for one minute.
  • yawn A big yawn showed two long teeth.

Level 1, List 3: waking up 10

  • chilly It felt too chilly to stay out.
  • clear A clear sky makes a sharp shadow.
  • cloud A single cloud blocked the light.
  • drowsy A drowsy face blinked at the cameras.
  • early Will warm days come early this year?
  • peek Take one quick peek outside.
  • shade The tall pine cast its shade on the hill.
  • sleepy The sleepy animal rubbed its eyes.
  • snooze Back to bed for a longer snooze.
  • wake Did the cheering wake him up?

Level 2, List 4: compound words 10

  • daybreak Reporters lined up at daybreak.
  • daylight Daylight crept over the frozen field.
  • halfway The day falls halfway between solstice and equinox.
  • hillside The burrow opens on a grassy hillside.
  • midwinter The den stays above freezing in midwinter.
  • springtime Flowers return in springtime.
  • sunlight Bright sunlight makes a dark shadow.
  • sunrise The crowd arrived before sunrise.
  • underground The family stays underground until spring.
  • woodchuck Woodchuck is another name for a groundhog.

Level 2, List 5: the animal 10

  • creature The shy creature hurried out of sight.
  • gnaw Rodents gnaw to wear down their teeth.
  • mammal Every mammal has hair or fur.
  • marmot The groundhog is a kind of marmot.
  • meadow Clover grows thick in the meadow.
  • nibble They nibble wild grasses and clover.
  • rodent A groundhog is a large rodent.
  • scamper Watch it scamper back inside.
  • squirrel A marmot is a large ground squirrel.
  • whistle A startled groundhog can whistle a warning.

Level 3, List 6: the tradition 10

  • calendar Circle the second of February on the calendar.
  • celebrate Many towns celebrate with their own groundhog.
  • ceremony The ceremony draws a large crowd.
  • folklore Weather folklore is fun, not science.
  • legend The legend says a shadow means more winter.
  • Pennsylvania The earliest record of the day is from Pennsylvania.
  • prediction This year's prediction made the crowd groan.
  • Punxsutawney The largest celebration is in Punxsutawney.
  • superstition The shadow rule began as a superstition.
  • tradition The tradition came to Pennsylvania with German settlers.

Level 3, List 7: hibernation and weather science 10

  • accurate Studies say the forecast is not very accurate.
  • climate In a milder climate, hibernation is shorter.
  • dormant Grass lies dormant under the snow.
  • emerge Groundhogs emerge from hibernation in spring.
  • equinox Day and night nearly match at the equinox.
  • hibernation Hibernation can last from October to March.
  • meteorologist A meteorologist forecasts with data, not shadows.
  • slumber The long winter slumber ends at last.
  • solstice The winter solstice is the shortest day.
  • temperature The temperature dropped as the crowd waited.

How it works

Groundhog Day words are full of traps: the first r in February, the silent g in gnaw, all twelve letters of Punxsutawney. These 70 words open on the ten every class needs.

Read the full guide

What the seven lists hold

List 1 is the day in ten words: groundhog, shadow, burrow, forecast, hibernate. Level 1, for kindergarten and 1st grade, has short words (den, nap, paw) and waking-up words (peek, sleepy). Level 2, for about 2nd to 4th grade, has compounds (sunrise, underground, woodchuck) and words about the animal (rodent, whistle, gnaw). Level 3, for 5th grade and up, has the tradition (folklore, superstition) and the science (hibernation, equinox, meteorologist). Treat the grades as a guide.

Three words need a capital

February, Punxsutawney and Pennsylvania are marked wrong in lower case while Capitals count is checked; uncheck it for younger spellers. Groundhog needs no capital, though the name of the day takes two: Groundhog Day.

  • Say both r's of February while spelling it; speech often drops the first one.

Questions and answers

How do you spell Punxsutawney?

P, u, n, x, s, u, t, a, w, n, e, y, with a capital P. It is the town in west-central Pennsylvania known for its Groundhog Day ceremony, and it is in List 6.

Is groundhog one word or two?

One word on this list. The American Heritage Dictionary enters groundhog first and also records ground hog. Type it with a space and the results say the letters are right and to check the spaces.

When is Groundhog Day, and what does the shadow mean?

February 2 every year. In the tradition, a groundhog that sees its shadow goes back to its den and winter lasts six more weeks; no shadow means an early spring. Wikipedia's article says studies find no consistent link.

Is a groundhog the same as a woodchuck?

Yes: two names for one animal, a large burrowing rodent and a kind of marmot. In the Appalachian Mountains it is also called a whistle pig, for the shrill whistle it makes when disturbed, says the American Heritage Dictionary.

Which Groundhog Day words sound like another word?

Six have a common sound-alike: burrow (borough), weather (whether), sun (son), hole (whole), peek (peak, pique) and chilly (chili). The sentence read with each word tells which one is meant.

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