Spelling games

Explore spelling across grades. Choose by skill and readiness; the grades are a starting point, and this collection does not cover a whole curriculum.

Each game explains the Common Core connection it supports, or identifies itself as supplemental practice. Schools may teach topics in a different sequence. Read how we choose games.

Kindergarten: Word train

Word train practices spelling a spoken word. Children listen to a familiar word, say it slowly and choose a grapheme tile for each sound. Each normal game draws six words from a pool of 14 familiar short words, including cat, map, sit, dog, sun and hen. Each has three sounds represented by three single letters.

Supports part of Common Core L.K.2.d through a small set of familiar words. Uses British-English whole-word audio; teachers can model their local pronunciation.

Common Core connection: L.K.2.d. This is focused practice for part of the standard.

Play Word train · Free printable

Kindergarten: Sound swap

Sound swap explores how changing one sound changes a word. Children begin with a printed word, listen to a new word and replace just the highlighted tile. Each normal game draws six changes from a pool of ten. Examples include cat to cap, cap to cup, cup to pup and dog to log. Pick first, middle or last sound for a focused practice session.

Supports part of Common Core RF.K.2.e through a small set of familiar words. Uses British-English whole-word audio; teachers can model their local pronunciation.

Common Core connection: RF.K.2.e. This is focused practice for part of the standard.

Play Sound swap · Free printable

Grade 1: Digraph detective

Digraph detective practices two letters representing one sound. Children hear words such as ship, fish, chin, chop, moth and ring, then fill a missing sound tile using sh, ch, th or ng. Each normal game draws six words from a pool of twelve. Choose a particular digraph for a focused three-word practice session. Each digraph occupies one sound position.

Supports part of Common Core RF.1.3.a through a small set of familiar words. Uses British-English whole-word audio; teachers can model their local pronunciation.

Common Core connection: RF.1.3.a. This is focused practice for part of the standard.

Play Digraph detective · Free printable

Grade 2: Contractions with apostrophes

A contraction is a short way of writing two words as one. Some letters are left out, and an apostrophe shows where they used to be. Do not becomes don't, I am becomes I'm and they are becomes they're. Children hear contractions all the time in speech, so learning to spell them helps their writing sound natural.

Supports part of Common Core L.2.2.c. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.

Common Core connection: L.2.2.c. This is focused practice for part of the standard.

Play Contractions with apostrophes · Free printable

Grade 3: Suffixes: –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly

The good news is that all five suffixes start with a consonant letter, so most of the time they are simply added straight on to the root word with no change at all: care + ful = careful, sad + ness = sadness. The main thing to learn is the exception. When a root word ends in a consonant followed by y, and the root word has more than one syllable, the y changes to i: happy + ness = happiness, penny + less = penniless. Learning that one rule, plus a few special words such as argument, lets children spell hundreds of longer words correctly.

Supports part of Common Core L.3.2.e. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.

Common Core connection: L.3.2.e. This is focused practice for part of the standard.

Play Suffixes: –ment, –ness, –ful, –less, –ly · Free printable