Spelling words
Spelling words for every grade, pre-K to college
2,212 words in all, chosen for each level and sorted into 15 themes, each with a short meaning. Pick a grade to see its full list.
Updated October 29, 2026
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.
Pre-K Spelling Words (120)
- cata small furry pet that says meow
- eggan oval thing that a bird lays
- balla round toy you throw, kick, or hit
- moonthe round object that circles the earth
- fishan animal that swims and breathes in water
- rainwater that falls from the clouds
Kindergarten Spelling Words (120)
- froga green animal that hops and lives near water
- corna yellow vegetable that grows on a cob
- batha tub of warm water for washing
- jumpto push off the ground with your legs
- cometa ball of ice and dust that orbits the sun
- squida sea animal with eight arms and two long tentacles
1st Grade Spelling Words (180)
- snakea long reptile with no legs
- cakea sweet baked treat for a party
- tracka path for running races
- planeta large round object that moves around a star
- beachland by the water covered in sand
- flowera colorful part of a plant that smells nice
2nd Grade Spelling Words (180)
- rabbita small furry animal with long ears that hops
- pancakea flat round cake cooked in a pan
- baseballa game where players hit a ball with a bat
- gravitythe force that pulls things down toward the ground
- seaweeda plant that grows in the ocean
- weatherwhat the air is like outside, such as rain or sun
3rd Grade Spelling Words (180)
- crocodilea large reptile with strong jaws that lives in rivers
- vegetablea plant or part of a plant that people eat as food
- basketballa game where players shoot a ball through a hoop
- satellitean object that circles a planet in space
- seahorsea tiny fish that swims upright and curls its tail
- blizzarda heavy snowstorm with strong winds
4th Grade Spelling Words (180)
- elephanta huge land animal with a long trunk and large ears
- casserolea baked dish of many foods cooked together
- athletea person trained to compete in sports or exercise
- meteoritea piece of rock from space that lands on earth
- aquariuma glass tank or building where water animals are kept
- glaciera huge slow-moving sheet of ice on land
5th Grade Spelling Words (180)
- migrateto travel to a new area when the seasons change
- ingredientone of the items used to make a food or recipe
- techniquea special way of doing something well
- cratera bowl-shaped hole made by an impact
- submergeto push or sink completely under water
- evaporateto turn from liquid into vapor and disappear
6th Grade Spelling Words (180)
- mosquitoa small flying insect that bites and sucks blood
- cuisinea style of cooking, especially from one place
- triathlona race combining swimming, cycling, and running
- cosmicrelating to the universe as a whole
- estuarya place where a river meets the sea
- chrysanthemuma flower with many layered petals that blooms in autumn
7th Grade Spelling Words (179)
- chameleona lizard that can change the color of its skin
- spaghettilong thin pasta made from wheat dough
- championshipa contest held to find the best player or team
- rotationthe act of turning around a central point or axis
- buoya floating marker anchored in water to warn ships or mark a spot
- rainforesta thick forest that gets lots of rain all year
8th Grade Spelling Words (178)
- pterodactyla flying reptile that lived with the dinosaurs long ago
- delicatessena shop that sells cooked meats, cheeses, and prepared foods
- competitora person who takes part in a contest
- spectrumthe range of colors that light separates into
- anemonea flowerlike sea animal with soft tentacles
- biodiversitythe variety of different plants and animals in an area
9th and 10th Grade Spelling Words (177)
- metamorphosisa major change in form, like a caterpillar becoming a butterfly
- vinegara sour liquid made from fermented fruit or grain
- coordinationthe smooth working together of body parts in movement
- ionospherea layer of charged particles high in the atmosphere
- cetaceana sea mammal such as a whale or dolphin
- pollinateto carry pollen so a plant can make seeds
11th and 12th Grade Spelling Words (178)
- vestigiala body part that is left over from an earlier form
- gastronomythe art and science of good eating
- pentathlona contest of five athletic events
- perihelionthe point in an orbit closest to the sun
- bathymetrythe measurement of ocean depths and floor shapes
- monsoona seasonal wind that brings heavy rain
College-Level Spelling Words (180)
- ornithologythe scientific study of birds
- sommeliera wine steward who recommends wines
- regimena planned program of diet and exercise
- astrophysicsthe physics of stars, planets, and the universe
- oceanographythe scientific study of the sea
- silviculturethe cultivation of forest trees