• 242 words

Multisyllabic Word List by Syllable Count, to Print or Test

Pick a list from 2 to 6 syllables, then print it or hear it read aloud as a test.

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List 1: 2 syllables, closed (nap-kin)

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

  1. 1.napkinWipe your hands on a napkin.
  2. 2.rabbitA rabbit has long ears.
  3. 3.basketWe put the apples in a basket.
  4. 4.picnicWe ate lunch at a picnic table.
  5. 5.sunsetThe sky turned orange at sunset.
  6. 6.kittenThe kitten chased a ball of yarn.
  7. 7.mittenOne mitten keeps one hand warm.
  8. 8.muffinShe ate a muffin for breakfast.
  9. 9.puppetThe puppet fits over my hand.
  10. 10.buttonSew the button back on the shirt.
  11. 11.magnetA magnet sticks to the fridge door.
  12. 12.helmetWear a helmet when you ride a bike.
  13. 13.velvetThe curtain was made of red velvet.
  14. 14.insectAn insect has six legs.
  15. 15.pumpkinWe carved a face in the pumpkin.
  16. 16.dentistThe dentist checks your teeth.
  17. 17.cactusA cactus can grow in the desert.
  18. 18.tennisYou hit a tennis ball with a racket.
  19. 19.goblinThe story had a green goblin in it.
  20. 20.bathtubFill the bathtub with warm water.

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All 242 words

List 1: 2 syllables, closed (nap-kin) 20

  • basket We put the apples in a basket.
  • bathtub Fill the bathtub with warm water.
  • button Sew the button back on the shirt.
  • cactus A cactus can grow in the desert.
  • dentist The dentist checks your teeth.
  • goblin The story had a green goblin in it.
  • helmet Wear a helmet when you ride a bike.
  • insect An insect has six legs.
  • kitten The kitten chased a ball of yarn.
  • magnet A magnet sticks to the fridge door.
  • mitten One mitten keeps one hand warm.
  • muffin She ate a muffin for breakfast.
  • napkin Wipe your hands on a napkin.
  • picnic We ate lunch at a picnic table.
  • pumpkin We carved a face in the pumpkin.
  • puppet The puppet fits over my hand.
  • rabbit A rabbit has long ears.
  • sunset The sky turned orange at sunset.
  • tennis You hit a tennis ball with a racket.
  • velvet The curtain was made of red velvet.

List 2: 2 syllables, closed (trum-pet) 20

  • admit I admit that I made a mistake.
  • blossom Each blossom on the tree was pink.
  • catnip Many cats like the smell of catnip.
  • chipmunk A chipmunk has stripes on its back.
  • expand A balloon will expand as you blow.
  • fabric Cotton is a soft fabric.
  • fossil We found a fossil in the rock.
  • hundred Ten tens make one hundred.
  • invent Someday you may invent a new game.
  • plastic The bottle is made of plastic.
  • pretzel A pretzel is often shaped like a knot.
  • problem We solved the math problem together.
  • publish They will publish the book next year.
  • ribbon She tied a ribbon around the gift.
  • sandwich I made a cheese sandwich for lunch.
  • signal Wait for the signal to cross.
  • tablet She read the book on a tablet.
  • traffic Heavy traffic made the bus late.
  • trumpet A trumpet is a brass instrument.
  • tunnel The road goes through a tunnel.

List 3: 2 syllables, open (ro-bot) 20

  • baby The baby slept in a crib.
  • bacon Dad cooked bacon in a pan.
  • even Four is an even number.
  • gravy Pour the gravy over the potatoes.
  • lady The lady held the door for us.
  • lazy The lazy cat slept all day.
  • music We sing songs in music class.
  • open Please open the window.
  • paper Write your name on the paper.
  • pilot The pilot landed the plane safely.
  • pony A pony is a small horse.
  • robot The robot can pick up a block.
  • ruby A ruby is a red gem.
  • sofa We sat on the sofa to read.
  • spider A spider spun a web by the door.
  • tiger A tiger has orange fur and black stripes.
  • tiny An ant is a tiny animal.
  • tulip A tulip grows from a bulb.
  • tuna He made a tuna salad for lunch.
  • zebra A zebra has black and white stripes.

List 4: 2 syllables, open (si-lent) 20

  • bonus The last question is a bonus.
  • broken The broken cup was on the floor.
  • fever She stayed home with a fever.
  • focus Try to focus on your work.
  • frozen Ice is frozen water.
  • human Every human needs water to live.
  • label Read the label on the jar.
  • minus Five minus two is three.
  • moment Please wait here for a moment.
  • motor The boat has a small motor.
  • photo She took a photo of the class.
  • pupil Each pupil has a desk.
  • recent We read about a recent storm.
  • secret Can you keep a secret?
  • silent The room was silent during the test.
  • siren We heard the siren of a fire truck.
  • student Every student got a new pencil.
  • total Add the numbers to find the total.
  • unit An inch is a unit of length.
  • virus A cold is caused by a virus.

List 5: 3 syllables (EL-e-phant) 20

  • animal Which animal do you like best?
  • astronaut An astronaut travels into space.
  • basketball We play basketball in the gym.
  • butterfly A butterfly landed on the flower.
  • crocodile A crocodile has a long tail.
  • cucumber A cucumber is green and crunchy.
  • dinosaur My brother drew a dinosaur with spikes.
  • elephant An elephant has a long trunk.
  • hexagon Each cell in a honeycomb is a hexagon.
  • holiday School is closed for the holiday.
  • hospital Doctors and nurses work in a hospital.
  • hurricane A hurricane brings strong wind and rain.
  • octopus An octopus has eight arms.
  • pelican A pelican has a pouch under its bill.
  • pineapple A pineapple has a crown of green leaves.
  • porcupine The quills of a porcupine are sharp.
  • rectangle A door is shaped like a rectangle.
  • strawberry A ripe strawberry is red.
  • telescope Use a telescope to look at the moon.
  • triangle Draw a triangle with three equal sides.

List 6: 3 syllables (IN-stru-ment) 20

  • adjective An adjective describes a noun.
  • alphabet The English alphabet has 26 letters.
  • beautiful The garden looks beautiful in spring.
  • carpenter A carpenter builds things from wood.
  • customer The customer paid for the bread.
  • dangerous It is dangerous to play near a road.
  • energy Food gives your body energy.
  • festival The town holds a festival each summer.
  • furniture A chair is a piece of furniture.
  • instrument A flute is a musical instrument.
  • microscope A microscope makes tiny things look bigger.
  • paragraph Start each paragraph on a new line.
  • passenger Each passenger on the bus had a seat.
  • photograph The old photograph was black and white.
  • popular Soccer is a popular sport.
  • skeleton Your skeleton is made of bones.
  • telephone The telephone rang in the kitchen.
  • vitamin Citrus fruit gives you vitamin C.
  • wonderful We had a wonderful time at the fair.
  • yesterday We planted the seeds yesterday.

List 7: 3 syllables (to-MA-to) 20

  • arena The team plays in a big arena.
  • banana Peel the banana before you eat it.
  • confetti They threw confetti at the party.
  • flamingo A flamingo can stand on one leg.
  • horizon A ship appeared on the horizon.
  • iguana An iguana is a lizard that eats plants.
  • karate She earned a new belt in karate.
  • koala A koala eats eucalyptus leaves.
  • mosquito A mosquito bite can itch.
  • museum We saw old coins at the museum.
  • papaya A papaya has black seeds inside.
  • potato Wash the potato before you bake it.
  • remember Please remember to bring your book.
  • spaghetti We had spaghetti for dinner.
  • tomato Slice the tomato for the salad bowl.
  • tornado A tornado is a column of spinning air.
  • umbrella Take an umbrella in case it rains.
  • vacation We went to the beach on vacation.
  • volcano Lava flows from a volcano.
  • zucchini A zucchini is a kind of summer squash.

List 8: 3 syllables (ad-VEN-ture) 20

  • addition We use addition to find a sum.
  • adventure The book is about an adventure at sea.
  • apartment They live in an apartment downtown.
  • attention Pay attention to the directions.
  • continue We will continue the story after lunch.
  • delicious That peach was sweet and delicious.
  • detective A detective solves the mystery in the book.
  • direction We walked in the wrong direction.
  • division We use division to share equally.
  • electric Plug the electric fan into the wall.
  • enormous A blue whale is an enormous animal.
  • equation Write an equation for the word problem.
  • example Give one example of a mammal.
  • expensive The watch was too expensive to buy.
  • fantastic You did a fantastic job on the poster.
  • important It is important to wash your hands.
  • invention The light bulb was a great invention.
  • musician A musician plays or writes music.
  • subtraction We use subtraction to find a difference.
  • tomorrow The field trip is tomorrow.

List 9: 4 syllables (al-li-ga-tor) 20

  • alligator An alligator lives in rivers and swamps.
  • armadillo An armadillo is covered in bony plates.
  • asparagus We grilled asparagus for dinner.
  • avocado An avocado has one large seed.
  • calculator Check your answer with a calculator.
  • caterpillar A caterpillar can turn into a butterfly.
  • dandelion A dandelion has a yellow flower.
  • elevator Take the elevator to the top floor.
  • escalator An escalator is a moving staircase.
  • harmonica You blow into a harmonica to play it.
  • helicopter A helicopter can hover in one spot.
  • kindergarten My sister starts kindergarten this fall.
  • macaroni We had macaroni and cheese for lunch.
  • motorcycle The motorcycle was parked by the curb.
  • pepperoni He asked for pepperoni on his pizza.
  • rhinoceros A rhinoceros has a horn on its nose.
  • salamander A salamander has smooth, moist skin.
  • supermarket We buy our food at the supermarket.
  • television Turn off the television at bedtime.
  • watermelon A watermelon is green on the outside.

List 10: 4 syllables (ac-tiv-i-ty) 20

  • activity Our first activity today is painting.
  • aquarium We saw sharks at the aquarium.
  • community A library serves the whole community.
  • conversation We had a long conversation at dinner.
  • custodian The custodian keeps our school clean.
  • decoration She hung a paper decoration on the door.
  • definition Read the definition of the new word.
  • dictionary Look up the word in a dictionary.
  • education School is part of your education.
  • emergency Call for help in an emergency.
  • experiment We did an experiment with magnets.
  • gymnasium The assembly is in the gymnasium.
  • impossible The puzzle seemed impossible at first.
  • information The sign gives information about the park.
  • invisible The air around us is invisible.
  • librarian The librarian helped me find a book.
  • population The population of the town is growing.
  • punctuation A period is a punctuation mark.
  • thermometer A thermometer measures temperature.
  • transportation A bus is one kind of transportation.

List 11: 5 syllables (caf-e-te-ri-a) 15

  • auditorium The play is in the school auditorium.
  • cafeteria We eat lunch in the cafeteria.
  • communication Writing is one form of communication.
  • determination She finished the race with determination.
  • electricity A lamp needs electricity to work.
  • examination The doctor gave me an eye examination.
  • hippopotamus The hippopotamus stood in the muddy river.
  • imagination Use your imagination to write a story.
  • investigation The police began an investigation.
  • multiplication We practiced multiplication facts today.
  • opportunity Recess is an opportunity to play outside.
  • pronunciation Check the pronunciation of the new word.
  • refrigerator Keep the milk in the refrigerator.
  • university My cousin studies at a university.
  • vocabulary Reading helps your vocabulary grow.

List 12: 5 syllables (per-son-al-i-ty) 15

  • abbreviation An abbreviation is a short form of a word.
  • alphabetical Put the words in alphabetical order.
  • anniversary Today is their wedding anniversary.
  • curiosity Her curiosity led her to ask questions.
  • denominator In one half, the denominator is two.
  • equilateral All sides of an equilateral triangle match.
  • individual Each individual got a name tag.
  • parallelogram A parallelogram has two pairs of parallel sides.
  • perpendicular The two streets are perpendicular to each other.
  • personality My dog has a friendly personality.
  • planetarium We watched a star show at the planetarium.
  • possibility There is a possibility of snow tonight.
  • quadrilateral A square is a quadrilateral.
  • unbelievable The magic trick was unbelievable.
  • velociraptor The velociraptor was a dinosaur with feathers.

List 13: 6 syllables (me-te-or-ol-o-gist) 12

  • autobiography An autobiography is the story of your own life.
  • biodegradable A biodegradable bag breaks down over time.
  • biodiversity A rainforest has great biodiversity.
  • extraterrestrial The movie was about an extraterrestrial visitor.
  • humanitarian The group sent humanitarian aid after the flood.
  • identification Show your identification at the front desk.
  • meteorologist A meteorologist studies the weather.
  • onomatopoeia Buzz is an example of onomatopoeia.
  • personification A talking tree is an example of personification.
  • responsibility Feeding the class fish is my responsibility.
  • revolutionary The printing press was a revolutionary invention.
  • unimaginable The size of space is almost unimaginable.

How it works

This multisyllabic word list holds 242 words in 13 lists, from napkin and robot at 2 syllables to responsibility at 6. Pick a list, then choose Word list to print it or press Start test to hear it read aloud.

Read the full guide

How the 13 lists are sorted

Lists 1 to 4 are the 2 syllable words list. In Lists 1 and 2 both syllables end in a consonant: nap-kin, trum-pet. In Lists 3 and 4 the first ends in a long vowel: ro-bot, si-lent. Lists 5 to 8 have 3 syllables, stressed first (EL-e-phant) or second (to-MA-to). Lists 9 and 10 have 4, Lists 11 and 12 have 5, List 13 has 6.

Print a list or run the test

Choose Word list and press Print: 20 words and their sentences fit 1 Letter or A4 page. Test sheet adds a last page for whoever reads the words out. Start test reads the open list aloud, then marks it. For a multi syllable word list of your own, open Edit this list.

  • Chocolate, camera, family, different and interesting are left out: the dictionary also gives each a pronunciation with one syllable fewer.
  • Breaks follow the American Heritage Dictionary, and dictionaries differ on a few: a class may say ba-na-na where it prints ba-nan-a. Both count 3.
  • Math words sit in three lists: addition and equation in List 8, multiplication in List 11, denominator and parallelogram in List 12.

Questions and answers

What is a multisyllabic word?

A word with more than one syllable. Napkin has 2, elephant 3, alligator 4, cafeteria 5 and responsibility 6. One-syllable words such as cat and jump are not on this multisyllable word list.

Where is the list of words with two syllables?

Lists 1 to 4 hold 80 of them, from napkin and rabbit to recent and total. Every word, with its sentence, is also printed under the tool as All 242 words.

Which multiple syllable word list fits which grade?

Our suggestion only: Lists 1 and 2 for grades 1 to 2, Lists 3 and 4 for grade 2, Lists 5 to 8 for grade 3, Lists 9 and 10 for grades 3 to 4, Lists 11 to 13 for grades 4 to 5.

Is there a multisyllabic word list PDF?

Press Print and choose Save as PDF in your browser's print window. The file holds the one list on screen, so for a 2 syllable word list PDF, open List 1, 2, 3 or 4 first.

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