3rd Grade Spelling Words and Worksheets

These free 3rd grade spelling words come in 6 weekly lists of 10 words, covering the six patterns of grade 3: r-controlled vowels, vowel digraphs, suffixes, compound words, contractions and plurals. Each list has its own practice packet with rainbow writing, ABC order, missing letters, word scrambles, word shapes, sentences, word pyramids and a practice test, with an answer key. Choose a list and print the PDF.

3rd grade spelling words to print (PDF)

These four pages show what the generator prints for the 3rd grade spelling words. Click a picture for the PDF, or use the generator above to choose another list or type your own words.

The 6 lists of 3rd grade spelling words

Each list has ten words built around one spelling pattern, so children learn the pattern and not just the words. This 3rd grade spelling list shows all 60 of the 3rd grade spelling words:

The 3rd grade spelling words are between 2 and 9 letters long. The average word has 5.3 letters, and this table shows how the lengths divide:

List 1 of the 3rd grade spelling words: r-controlled vowels: when a vowel meets r

When a vowel is followed by r, the r changes the vowel sound, so it is neither long nor short. Three different spellings, ir, ur and er, make the same sound in the words here, so there is no rule to tell them apart. Children simply have to remember which spelling goes with which word. A good trick is to learn the words in a sentence: “The girl turned and her bird flew away.”

Model sentences: The star shone over the farm. A girl heard a horn and a storm.

List 2 of the 3rd grade spelling words: oo, ou and ow: three spellings, four sounds

The letters oo make two different sounds, as in moon and book, and the letters ou and ow make the same sound in cloud and cow. A rule of thumb helps: ow is more often at the end of a word or before n, as in cow, town and brown, and ou is more often in the middle, as in cloud and loud. Rhymes make a good game: what rhymes with brown, moon or look?

Model sentences: The brown cow stood in the town. We look at the moon and eat food.

List 3 of the 3rd grade spelling words: adding -ed and -ing to base words

Adding -ed and -ing is the first suffix rule with real exceptions, so it is worth teaching as four small rules. The doubling rule, for example, works only when a word has one syllable, one short vowel and one final consonant, which is why hop becomes hopping but help becomes helping. The Common Core expects third graders to add suffixes to base words correctly (L.3.2.E).

Model sentences: We jumped and played, and then we were running. She was smiling when she tried the baked cake.

List 4 of the 3rd grade spelling words: compound words: two words made into one

The spelling of both words stays the same when they are joined, so a compound word is as easy to spell as its two parts. Ask children to split every word in the list, say each part and then put them together. For a challenge, make new compound words from the parts: sun + day, rain + coat and foot + print.

Model sentences: A rainbow came out after the sunshine. The snowman stood next to the backpack.

List 5 of the 3rd grade spelling words: contractions: where the apostrophe goes

An apostrophe in a contraction takes the place of the letters that are left out, so it goes exactly where the letters were. The most common mistake is writing it between the wrong letters, as in do’nt. The word it’s always means “it is” or “it has”, and the possessive its, as in “the dog wagged its tail”, never has an apostrophe.

Model sentences: I’m sure it’s true, but we’re not. They’re happy, but you’ll see that I can’t come.

List 6 of the 3rd grade spelling words: plurals: when to add -s and when to add -es

A plural that ends in -es adds an extra syllable, which you can hear: box has one syllable, but boxes has two. That gives children a test they can run in their head. If the singular ends in a hissing or buzzing sound, such as x, s, ss, sh or ch, you need the -es, because without it the plural would be hard to say. In this list, eight of the ten words take -es, and only two take -s.

Model sentences: The foxes ate their lunches on the benches. Two kittens sat in the trees by the dishes.

3rd grade spelling worksheets: what is in each packet

The practice packet for one list of the 3rd grade spelling words has nine activities. It prints 10 to 11 pages, and 5 more pages with the answer keys. Each activity trains a different part of spelling:

You can print the whole packet, or just one activity, such as the practice test for a Friday quiz on the 3rd grade spelling words. The answer keys cover the ABC order, missing letters, scramble, word shape and test pages.

Spelling practice 3rd grade: a week with one list

Short daily sessions work better than a single long one. This plan for the 3rd grade spelling words uses two pages a day and takes about ten minutes:

If you want to learn more about how spelling is taught, Wikipedia’s English orthography article describes why English spelling has so many patterns and exceptions.

Weekly spelling words: how many and how fast?

Ten words a week is a common number for 3rd grade spelling words, and it works well when the words share a pattern, because the child learns the pattern once and uses it ten times. If your school gives five or eight words, choose the first words of a list, or type your own list into the generator. Move on to the next list when the child scores 8 out of 10 or better on the practice test. This is how to read the test score:

The Common Core asks third graders to use conventional spelling for studied words and for adding suffixes to base words (L.3.2.E), and to use spelling patterns and generalizations, such as word families, ending rules and meaningful word parts, in writing words (L.3.2.F). These lists cover r-controlled vowels, vowel digraphs, suffix rules, compound words, contractions and plurals.

How to use the 3rd grade spelling worksheets

1. Introduce the pattern first. Read the list of 3rd grade spelling words aloud with the child, and ask what the words have in common.
2. Do the activities in order. The packet moves from copying to remembering, and then to using the words.
3. Use real words. Ask the child to find the 3rd grade spelling words in a book, and to use two of them in a story.
4. Test on Friday. Read the words aloud, one at a time, and use each in a sentence. Check with the key.
5. Keep the missed words. Add them to next week’s practice.

Printing tip

Print at 100% or “Actual size” and turn off “Fit to page”, so every measurement on the sheet is exact. Choose Letter or A4 paper in the generator before you download the PDF.

3rd Grade spelling words: frequently asked questions

How should we use one packet across a week?

Try two pages a day: Monday rainbow writing and ABC order, Tuesday look-say-cover-write-check, Wednesday missing letters and scrambles, Thursday sentences and pyramids, Friday the practice test.

Can I use our school spelling list instead?

Yes. Open the generator, type your own words and print the same activities. You can use up to 20 words.

How many spelling words should a 3rd grade student learn each week?

Most classes use five to ten words a week. These lists have ten, and you can type a shorter list of your own.

Do the packets have answer keys?

Yes. The packet has answer key pages for the ABC order, missing letters, word scramble, word shape and test pages.

Are these 3rd grade spelling words free?

Yes. They are free to print for home and classroom use, with no sign-up.

More spelling and reading worksheets

• 2nd grade spelling words
• Third grade sight words worksheets
• 3rd and 4th grade reading comprehension worksheets