2nd Grade Spelling Words

How to practice spelling words

• Hear it, then spell it. Spelling from a word you hear is the real skill. In Owl Test Prep, Owl-y says each word and uses it in a sentence, and you type it.
• Short and often. Ten words a day beats fifty on Friday night. Owl-y keeps a streak so the habit sticks.
• Missed words come back. A word you miss comes back later that day, then again over the next week, until it sticks.
• Look at the tricky part. Most misses are one spot: a double letter, a silent letter, an ending. Say it slowly and find that spot.

Animals (12)

• rabbita small furry animal with long ears that hops
• turkeya large bird that people often eat at Thanksgiving
• beavera furry animal with big teeth that builds dams
• cheetaha very fast wild cat with black spots
• donkeya farm animal like a small horse with long ears
• squirrela small animal with a big bushy tail that climbs trees
• penguina black and white bird that cannot fly and swims
• monkeyan animal that climbs trees and swings from branches
• sparrowa small brown bird with a short beak
• parrota colorful bird that can copy human talking
• koalaa gray animal that lives in trees and eats leaves
• eaglea large bird of prey with sharp eyes

Food (12)

• pancakea flat round cake cooked in a pan
• breakfastthe first meal of the day
• peanuta nut that grows underground in a shell
• lettucea green leafy plant eaten in salads
• noodlea long thin strip of pasta
• dinnerthe main meal eaten in the evening
• popcorna snack of puffed corn kernels
• chowdera thick soup with clams or corn
• carrotan orange root vegetable that is crunchy
• peppera spicy or sweet vegetable often red or green
• cereala breakfast food made from grain and milk
• wafflea crispy square cake cooked in a special iron

Sports (12)

• baseballa game where players hit a ball with a bat
• trophya cup or statue given as a prize
• stadiuma big building where sports games are played
• refereethe person who makes sure players follow the rules
• jerseya shirt that a team wears in a game
• hurdlea low barrier that runners jump over
• swimmera person who moves through water with arms and legs
• bowlingrolling a heavy ball to knock down pins
• pitcherthe player who throws the ball in baseball
• skiingsliding down snowy hills on two long boards
• cyclingriding a bicycle for fun or exercise
• karatea martial art that uses kicks and punches

Space (12)

• gravitythe force that pulls things down toward the ground
• starlightthe light that comes from stars
• stardusttiny bits of dust that float through space
• spaceshipa vehicle built to fly through space
• stargazera person who looks at stars for fun
• sunspota dark spot on the surface of the sun
• rovera vehicle that drives over other planets to explore
• moonbeama ray of light from the moon
• sunbeama ray of light from the sun
• shuttlea spacecraft that carries astronauts up and back
• orbitera spacecraft that circles around a planet
• moonlitlit up by the light of the moon

Ocean (12)

• seaweeda plant that grows in the ocean
• currentwater that flows steadily in one direction
• tidethe rise and fall of the sea each day
• wavea moving ridge of water that rolls toward shore
• anchora heavy metal hook that holds a boat in place
• minnowa very small fish that swims in groups
• spongean ocean animal with holes that sticks to rocks
• oystera shellfish with a rough hard shell
• walrusa big sea animal with long tusks and whiskers
• snaila slow creature with a shell on its back
• sailboata boat pushed along by wind
• salmona pink fish that swims upstream to lay eggs

Nature and weather (12)

• weatherwhat the air is like outside, such as rain or sun
• featherone of the light soft parts that cover a bird
• gardena place where people grow plants and flowers
• mountaina very tall hill of rock
• seasonone of the four parts of the year
• cloudywhen the sky is covered and the sun is hidden
• blossoma flower that grows on a tree or bush
• maplea tree with leaves that turn red in fall
• willowa tree with long branches that droop near water
• acornthe nut that grows on an oak tree
• riverbankthe land along the edge of a river
• hillsidethe sloping side of a hill

Home and family (12)

• familya group of people who are related
• bedrooma room where a person sleeps
• garagea building where cars are kept
• neighbora person who lives next door
• sistera girl who has the same parents as you
• cousinthe child of your aunt or uncle
• dishesplates and bowls that are washed after a meal
• hallwaya passage that connects rooms in a house
• atticthe room or space at the top of a house
• doorwaythe opening where you walk through a door
• porcha covered area outside the front door of a house
• cushiona soft pillow for sitting or leaning on

School (12)

• paperthin sheets made for writing or drawing
• principalthe person in charge of a school
• bulletina short notice or news report posted for people
• readera book used for practicing words and sounds
• markera pen with thick ink for writing on boards
• lockera small metal box where students keep things
• staplera tool that pushes metal pins through paper
• foldera paper cover that holds loose pages together
• projecta special task you work on for a while
• subjecta topic that you study in school
• chapterone of the main parts of a book
• quiza short test with a few questions

Music and art (12)

• claysoft earth that can be shaped and dried
• guitara stringed instrument you strum with your fingers
• trumpeta brass instrument played by blowing into it
• dancera person who moves to music
• actora person who performs in plays or movies
• curtaina cloth hung to cover a window or stage
• artista person who makes paintings, drawings, or sculptures
• banjoa stringed instrument with a round body
• celloa large stringed instrument played while sitting down
• flutea long thin instrument you blow across
• canvasa strong cloth that artists paint on
• clarineta woodwind instrument with a single reed

Body and health (12)

• tonguethe soft muscle inside your mouth used for tasting
• breatheto take air into your lungs and let it out
• sneezeto force air out of your nose suddenly
• wristthe joint that connects your hand to your arm
• anklethe joint that connects your foot to your leg
• tissuea soft paper for wiping your nose
• kneecapthe flat bone at the front of your knee
• spinethe row of bones down your back
• skullthe hard bone that protects your brain
• nostrilone of the two openings in your nose
• throatthe tube inside your neck that carries food and air
• waistthe narrow middle part of your body

Places and travel (12)

• airporta place where airplanes take off and land
• deserta dry area with very little rain
• canyona deep valley with steep rocky sides
• tunnela passage dug through the ground or a hill
• stationa place where trains or buses stop for passengers
• towera tall narrow building or part of a castle
• rancha large farm where cattle and horses are raised
• palacea huge home where a king or queen lives
• cottagea small cozy house, often in the country
• plazaan open square in a town or city
• campusthe land and buildings of a college or school
• capitalthe city where a state or country has its government

Science (12)

• energythe power to move or do work
• liquida substance that flows, such as water
• crystala solid with a regular shape, like salt
• bacteriatiny living things too small to see
• weighthow heavy something is
• planta living thing that grows roots in soil
• minerala natural substance found in rocks and soil
• experimenta test done to find out what happens
• scientista person who studies how the world works
• circuita loop that lets electricity flow
• measureto find the size or amount of something
• electricrunning on power from a wall or battery

People and feelings (12)

• helpfulready to assist others
• kindnessbeing gentle and caring toward others
• patientable to wait calmly without getting upset
• honestalways telling the truth
• cheerfulhappy and full of good spirits
• generoushappy to share things with others
• couragethe strength to face fear and do the right thing
• sillyfunny in a playful or foolish way
• grandmayour mother's or father's mother
• grandpayour mother's or father's father
• unclethe brother of your mom or dad
• workera person who does a job or task

Adventure (12)

• compassa tool that always points north
• puzzlea game with pieces that fit together
• rescueto save someone from danger
• lanterna portable light with a glass case around a flame
• sailora person who works on a ship
• explorera person who travels to discover new places
• rangera person who protects a forest or park
• robota machine that can move and do tasks
• gianta very large creature in a story
• goblina small, sneaky creature from old stories
• fairya tiny magical creature with wings
• gnomea tiny creature who lives underground in stories

Tricky words (12)

• pieceone part that has been separated from a whole
• wholecomplete, with nothing missing
• wearto have clothing or shoes on your body
• thougheven if; but still
• toughstrong and hard to break, or difficult
• believeto think something is true
• ceilingthe flat top surface of a room
• sweatera knitted shirt with long sleeves
• answersomething said or written to a question
• heighthow tall something or someone is
• thoughtan idea that comes into your mind
• wroteput words on paper with a pen or pencil

Questions people ask