accident1 double letter, cc. The first c is hard like k, and the second is soft like s.
address2 double letters, dd and ss, in 7 letters.
balloon2 double letters side by side, ll and oo.
beginningbegin doubles its n before ing, so the word holds 3 n's in 9 letters.
committee3 double letters in 9 letters: mm, tt and ee.
different1 double letter, ff, in 9 letters. Say dif-fer-ent as you write so the middle er is not lost.
embarrass2 double letters, rr and ss, and only 1 m.
necessary1 double letter, ss, with a single c in front of it. 9 letters.
opposite1 double letter, pp, with an o on each side of it.
success2 double letters, cc and ss, in 7 letters.
Show all 38 tricky words (28 more)
Words with a silent letter 10
answerA silent w in the middle of 6 letters.
autumnA silent n at the end. 2 u's in 6 letters.
climbA silent b at the end of 5 letters.
doubtA silent b in front of the t, in 5 letters.
islandA silent s in 6 letters. Split it into is and land to remember it.
knifeA silent k in front, 5 letters in all. The plural swaps the f for a v: knives.
listenA silent t. The same 6 letters, in another order, spell silent.
muscleA silent c in the middle of 6 letters. Say mus-cle as you write.
scissorsA silent c after the first s, a double s in the middle and 4 s's in all.
wristA silent w in front, as in wrong and wrap. 5 letters, 1 vowel.
Words that change before an ending 10
beautifulbeauty swaps y for i, then adds ful with 1 l. 9 letters, 5 of them vowels.
easiereasy swaps y for i, then adds er. 6 letters, 4 of them vowels.
familiesfamily swaps y for i, then adds es. 2 i's in 8 letters.
happilyhappy swaps y for i, then adds ly. 1 double letter, pp.
hopinghope drops its e before ing. 1 p only: with a second one it would be hopping.
hoppinghop doubles its p before ing: 2 p's, and the o stays short.
hurriedhurry swaps y for i, then adds ed. 1 double letter, rr.
planningplan doubles its n before ing: 3 n's in 8 letters.
shiningshine drops its e before ing, and the n is not doubled. 7 letters.
stoppedstop doubles its p before ed: 2 p's in 7 letters.
ie and ei words 8
believei before e. 7 letters, and the word lie sits inside it.
ceilinge before i after the c, as in receive. 7 letters.
fieldi before e, with no c in the word. 5 letters, 3 tall letters.
heightei sounds like a long i here. 6 letters, ending in ght like weight.
neighborei sounds like a here, as it does in weigh. 8 letters in the American spelling.
receivee before i, right after the c. 7 letters.
sciencei before e right after a c, the other way round from receive. 7 letters.
weirde before i with no c in front: a common exception to the i before e rhyme. 5 letters.
How this list was compiled: Written for this site on 2026-09-18. The suffix group follows Common Core L.3.2e (conventional spelling for adding suffixes to base words), read on 2026-09-18 at https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf. The i before e rhyme and the standing of weird, height and science as exceptions to it were checked at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_before_E_except_after_C on 2026-09-18. neighbor is given in its American spelling. Counts of letters and tall letters were counted, and double letters were counted one by one. The Common Core State Standards are the copyright of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by either. Licence: own work
All 93 lines for grades 3 to 5
Words that sound alike, in one sentence 14
Did you hear that? Come over here and listen.9 words in 2 sentences. hear has the word ear inside it. here is a place, and it sits inside there and where.
The dog wagged its tail because it's time for a walk.11 words. it's is short for it is. its, with no apostrophe, shows that the tail belongs to the dog. 1 apostrophe in the whole line.
I can't decide whether the weather will hold for the game.11 words. whether opens a choice and starts wh. weather is the rain and the sun and starts we.
Show all 93 lines for grades 3 to 5 (90 more)
Words that sound alike, in one sentence, continued
I knew the new student would like our class.9 words. knew has a silent k and is the past of know. new is the opposite of old. 1 letter apart on paper, no difference out loud.
May I have a piece of pie and a little peace and quiet?13 words. piece starts with the 3 letters of pie, which is how to remember a piece of pie. peace is the calm kind.
Our principal has one principle: be kind.7 words. The principal of a school ends in pal. A principle is a rule, and both of those words end in le.
Press the brake gently so the glass won't break.9 words. A brake stops a bike. To break is to crack or snap. The same 5 letters, with the a and the e in different places.
Reading aloud is allowed in the reading corner.8 words. aloud means out loud and has loud inside it. allowed means you may, and it has a double l.
She threw the ball through the open window.8 words. threw is what her arm did. through is the way the ball went, and its 7 letters hold a silent gh.
There is a robin's nest in their tree, and they're watching it.12 words with all 3: there for a place, their for whose tree it is, and they're for they are. 2 apostrophes and 1 comma.
Two of us were too tired to walk to the lake.11 words. two is the number, too means more than enough, and to points the way. The line uses two once, too once and to twice.
We passed the old mill and walked on past the bridge.11 words. passed is a verb, something we did. past tells where we walked. Only 1 of the 2 can take the ending ed.
Whose jacket is this, and who's going to take it home?11 words. whose asks who owns it. who's is short for who is, so read it that way to test it: who is going to take it home.
Write your name on the right side of the page.10 words. write, with its silent w, is what a pencil does. right is a side, and it also means correct.
Dialogue: commas and quotation marks 10
"I found it!" shouted Lena.5 words. The spoken words end in their own mark, so no comma is needed, and shouted stays lowercase.
"It is raining," said Dad. "Take your coat."2 spoken sentences, so a period follows Dad and Take opens with a capital. 4 quotation marks in all.
Mia whispered, "The library closes at five."7 words, 1 comma, 2 quotation marks. Swap whispered for said, called or asked and the punctuation stays the same.
The note on the fridge said, "Your lunch is in the blue bag."13 words. Words copied from a note, a sign or a book are marked the same way as speech: a quotation from a text.
Omar asked, "Is this seat taken?"6 words. The speaker comes first, so a comma follows asked and the spoken words open with a capital. The question mark stays inside.
Our coach always says, "Practice makes progress."7 words. A saying that someone repeats is quoted like speech: a comma after says, a capital P and the period inside the marks.
"Please pass the glue," said Maya.6 words, 2 quotation marks. The comma sits inside the closing mark, and said stays lowercase.
"Wait for me," called Ben, "and bring the map."1 spoken sentence split in two by the speaker: 2 commas, 4 quotation marks and a lowercase and to carry on.
"Whose turn is it?" asked the teacher.7 words. The question mark belongs to the spoken words, so it goes inside the marks, and asked stays lowercase.
"Yes, I fed the fish," Noah said.2 commas doing 2 jobs: the first sets off Yes, and the second ends the spoken words before Noah said.
Commas after an opening, with yes and no, and with a name 11
After the storm, the whole street smelled like rain.9 words. After the storm is an opening of 3 words, and 1 comma separates it from the main sentence.
Before you hand in your work, check every capital.9 words. The opening runs for 6 of them. Read it aloud: the comma stands where your voice pauses.
Class, please open your books to page 12.Direct address at the start, so the comma follows Class. 8 words if you count the number 12.
In the morning, fog covered the soccer field.8 words. The 3 words before the comma tell when. Move them to the end of the sentence and the comma disappears.
Is that your backpack, Lena?Direct address: the sentence speaks to Lena by name, so 1 comma comes before her name.
It's cold in here, isn't it?A tag question: isn't it? is tagged onto a statement with 1 comma. 2 apostrophes in 6 words.
No, the library is not open on Sunday.8 words, 1 comma after No, and 2 capitals: one opens the sentence and one is for the day.
Thank you, Mr. Park, for fixing my bike.A name in the middle of a sentence gets a comma on each side: 2 commas. Mr. ends in a period of its own.
When the bell rang, everyone lined up by the door.10 words and 1 comma. Openings often start with when, after, before, if or because.
Yes, I would love to come to your party.9 words. Yes is set off from the rest by 1 comma.
You fed the hamster, didn't you?Another tag question, 6 words long. The statement comes first, then 1 comma, then the short question.
Compound sentences: a comma before and, but, or, so 9
The bus was late, so we read our books at the stop.12 words. Cover so and each half can stand alone, which is why the comma is there.
For, and, nor, but, or, yet, so: seven joining words.The 7 coordinating conjunctions, with 6 commas between them. Their first letters spell fanboys.
Grandpa tells the same joke every year, and we still laugh.11 words, 1 comma. The first half is 7 words long and the second half is 3, and both can stand alone.
I studied every night, so the spelling test felt easy.10 words. so shows a result. The comma goes before so, never after it.
I wanted to play outside, but the rain would not stop.11 words. 2 complete sentences joined by but, with 1 comma in front of it.
Maya drew the map, and Omar wrote the labels.9 words. 2 people, 2 verbs and 2 full sentences, so and gets a comma in front of it.
The test was long, yet nobody gave up.8 words. yet works like but here, and it is 1 of the 7 joining words.
We packed sandwiches and apples for the trip.8 words and no comma. Here and joins 2 foods, not 2 sentences: apples for the trip cannot stand alone.
You can write in pen, or you can use a sharp pencil.12 words. 2 choices, each a full sentence, joined by or with 1 comma.
Lists inside a sentence 8
Bring a pencil, an eraser, a ruler, and your library book.4 things to bring, 3 commas. a comes before pencil and ruler, an comes before eraser.
Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are the four inner planets.4 planet names in order from the Sun, 4 capitals and 3 commas.
Mix the flour, crack two eggs, stir well, and pour.A series of 4 actions in 10 words. A recipe step is often one long list of verbs.
My favorite subjects are art, science, and math.3 subjects and 2 commas. A school subject takes a capital only when it is a language, like Spanish or English.
North, south, east, and west are the four main directions.10 words. Inside a sentence the 4 directions stay lowercase. North has a capital only because it comes first.
Pack a hat, sunscreen, a towel, and plenty of water.4 things and 3 commas: one after each thing except the last.
She ran to the corner, across the park, and up the hill.A series of 3 phrases, not 3 single words. Each one tells where she ran, and 2 commas keep them apart.
We need glue, scissors, and colored paper.3 things in a series, 2 commas. This page puts a comma before and in every list. Some classes leave that one out: delete it in the box if yours does.
Titles, addresses and dates 9
The field trip is on Friday, May 14, 2027.A full date with 2 commas: one after the day name and one after the number. May 14, 2027 falls on a Friday.
I wrote a story called "The Secret of the Blue Mitten."11 words. A story title in 2 quotation marks, with the period inside. of and the stay lowercase in the middle of a title.
In handwriting, underline the title of a whole book.9 words. Print shows a book title in slanted letters. With a pencil you underline it, so add the line with a ruler.
My cousin moved from Austin, Texas, to Denver, Colorado.3 commas. Inside a sentence a comma follows the state as well as the city, so Texas has one on each side.
My favorite chapter is "The Goat on the Garage Roof."Chapter titles go in quotation marks. This made-up 6-word title has 4 capitals, and the small words on and the stay lowercase in the middle.
Our class sang "The River Runs to the Sea" at the show.Song titles go in quotation marks too. 4 capitals in this made-up 6-word title: Runs is a verb, so it counts as important.
Our school is at 10 Robin Lane, Pinefield, Ohio.A made-up address with 2 commas: one after the street and one after the town. None goes between the number and the street.
Send the card to 7 Harbor Road, Larkbury, Maine.Another made-up address. 5 capitals: one to open the sentence and one on each word of the street, the town and the state.
We read the poem "The Owl at My Window" today.A made-up 5-word poem title. The first word, the last word and every important word get a capital. The short word at does not.
Adding an ending: double, drop or change 10
The baby cries when the puppies bark.7 words. 2 of them swap a y for ies: cry makes cries, and puppy makes puppies.
The easiest way is usually the tidiest one.8 words. easy and tidy swap y for i before est. usually keeps a double l: usual plus ly.
He stopped, dropped his bag, and grabbed the rail.3 short verbs with 1 vowel and 1 last consonant. Each doubles that consonant before ed: pp, pp and bb.
Her happiness showed in the silliness of her dance.9 words. happy and silly both swap y for i before ness. 2 words, 1 rule.
I am hoping for snow, and the rabbit is hopping in it.12 words. hope drops its e before ing. hop doubles its p. 1 letter apart, and the meaning changes.
Making, baking, and skating all drop the silent e.9 words. make, bake and skate each lose an e before ing: 3 words, 1 rule.
She smiled, waved, and hurried to the bus.3 verbs that end in ed. smile and wave already end in e, so only a d is added. hurry swaps its y for an i.
The shining lake was the most beautiful place we visited.3 endings, 3 rules: shine drops its e, beauty swaps y for i, and visit only adds ed.
We carried the heaviest boxes and hurried back for more.10 words. 3 of them swap y for i before the ending: carry, heavy and hurry.
We were sitting and chatting by the swimming pool.9 words. 3 of them double a last letter before ing: sit, chat and swim.
Math and grammar words in a sentence 10
A hexagon has six sides and six angles.8 words. hexagon has 7 letters, 1 more than the 6 sides it names.
A noun names a person, a place, a thing, or an idea.12 words and a series of 4, so 3 commas.
A product is the answer to a multiplication problem.9 words. multiplication has 14 letters, the longest word in any line of this group.
A quotient is the answer to a division problem.9 words. 12 divided by 3 gives a quotient of 4. quotient starts qu, and the u is easy to drop.
A right angle measures exactly 90 degrees.7 words if you count the number 90. Each corner of the sheet you print is a right angle.
Area is measured in square units.6 words. A rectangle 3 units wide and 4 units long has an area of 12 square units.
Every even number ends in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8.11 words if you count the 5 digits, with 4 commas in the list.
The numerator is the top number of a fraction.9 words. In 3/4 the numerator is 3, and the 4 under the line is the denominator.
Parallel lines stay the same distance apart.7 words. parallel holds 3 of the letter l, and the pair in the middle looks like 2 parallel lines.
The perimeter is the distance around a shape.8 words. perimeter is the longest of them at 9 letters, and distance comes next at 8.
Reminders for small, neat writing 7
A lowercase t is shorter than an l, so stop it early.12 words. On these sheets t starts a little under the top line, while b, h, k and l start right on it.
Keep small letters the same height all along the row.10 words. At Small the dashed line sits 6.4 mm above the baseline. Every small letter reaches it and stops.
Line up the left edge so every row starts in the same place.13 words. The traced rows all start at the same margin. Start your own rows right under them.
Sit the letters on the baseline, not above it and not through it.13 words. The baseline is the solid bottom line of a row. Only 5 letters go through it: g, j, p, q and y.
Tails must not bump into the tall letters of the next row.12 words with 17 tall letters and 1 tail letter. Under More options, tick Add a fourth line to see where a tail ends.
Words need a gap, and the letters inside a word do not.12 words. A gap as wide as 1 lowercase o is about right at this size.
Write a little faster each week, but never faster than neat.11 words, 1 comma. Time 1 copy of this line, then match the time with every letter still clear.
Pangrams: every letter in one sentence 5
The brave queen packed six frozen jam tarts, my gift, with love.All 26 letters in 12 words, with 2 commas around my gift.
Dozens of quiet gray mice vanished behind jars of pickled wax beans.All 26 letters in 12 words and 56 letters. Written for this page, so nobody in class has copied it before.
My aunt quickly packed five jars of crazy hot salsa with extra ginger and basil.All 26 letters in 15 words. At 80 characters it is as long as a line can be in the box.
Please fix my jacket zipper, buy a quart of milk, and wave to the dog.All 26 letters, a series of 3 actions and 2 commas. 7 tail letters to keep clear of the row below.
Write a very quick joke for the lazy boxing champions, dad.All 26 letters in 11 words and 47 letters, ending in direct address: a comma before dad.
How this list was compiled: Written for this site on 2026-09-18. The groups follow conventions in the Common Core language standards for grades 3, 4 and 5, read on 2026-09-18 in the standards document at https://learning.ccsso.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/ELA_Standards1.pdf: L.3.2a (capitalize appropriate words in titles), L.3.2b (use commas in addresses), L.3.2c (use commas and quotation marks in dialogue), L.3.2e (adding suffixes to base words), L.4.1g (correctly use frequently confused words), L.4.2b (commas and quotation marks to mark direct speech and quotations from a text), L.4.2c (a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence), L.5.2a (punctuation to separate items in a series), L.5.2b (a comma after an introductory element), L.5.2c (commas for yes and no, a tag question and direct address) and L.5.2d (underlining, quotation marks or italics for titles of works). Checked on 2026-09-18 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comma: the comma after a state inside a sentence, the commas of a month, day, year date, the comma inside a closing quotation mark in American usage, commas around a name in direct address, and that the comma before and in a series is usual in the United States but not required by every style guide. The seven coordinating conjunctions and the word FANBOYS were checked at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conjunction_(grammar), the capitals of a title (first word, last word and major words, with articles and short prepositions in lowercase) at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Title_case, and the four inner planets at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_System, all on the same day. Titles use only prepositions of 2 letters, because style guides disagree about longer ones. The weekday of May 14, 2027 was computed. The five pangrams were written for this site, checked to hold all 26 letters and checked against the list at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pangram on 2026-09-18. Letter heights come from the tool's own layout code. Counts of words, letters, tall letters and tail letters were counted, and counts of commas, apostrophes and quotation marks were made one by one. The Common Core State Standards were published in 2010 and are the copyright of the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by either, and the sheets follow no single curriculum. Revised on 2026-09-20. Every title, street and town (Pinefield, Larkbury) is made up, and so is every person (Maya, Omar, Lena, Ben, Mia, Noah, Dad, Grandpa, Mr. Park). No line names a real person, a handwriting program or a character from a book, film, show or game. Licence: own work
How it works
Handwriting practice for 5th grade has to fit a smaller row and a longer sentence. These 93 lines in 10 groups cover what grades 3 to 5 ask: words that sound alike, dialogue, commas, titles, addresses and changed endings.
Read the full guide
One page, three grades
For 3rd grade handwriting practice, start with dialogue, addresses and endings, where The baby cries when the puppies bark. turns 2 words from y to ies. Words that sound alike and compound sentences are 4th grade work. Opening commas, lists and titles round out 5th grade handwriting practice.
Two sentences fill a Letter page
Each row is traced once, then left empty twice. The usual sentence wraps onto 2 rows and fills 6, so 2 sentences fill a Letter page of 12 rows; A4 holds 15. I can't decide whether the weather will hold for the game. wraps onto 3 and fills 9. For single words, open More options and set What to practice to Tricky words: 38, from double letters to ie and ei.
Ask which rule a line shows before anyone traces it. The note beside it in the list has the answer.
For a student who no longer needs to trace, tick Copywork under More options: the sentence prints solid to copy.
Tails hitting the row below? Tick Add a fourth line, which marks where g, j, p, q and y end.
Questions and answers
Are these handwriting practice sheets 3rd grade level, or harder?
Both. Dialogue, addresses and changed endings are 3rd grade conventions in the Common Core language standards. The compound-sentence comma is on the 4th grade list, and opening commas, lists and titles on the 5th. If 10 mm is tight, choose Medium, 14 mm.
What letter height suits handwriting practice for 4th grade and up?
Small, where tall letters are 10 mm, small letters stop at the dashed line 6.4 mm up, and rows sit 16 mm apart, larger than notebook writing. The tool has no height under Small, so once rows look even, copy the sentences onto notebook paper.
Can I print these sentences in cursive?
Yes. The standards these groups follow do not include cursive, so the page opens in Print. Under Letter style, choose Looped cursive or Modern cursive and the same sentence is redrawn in that style. For lines written for cursive, open cursive practice sentences.