1st grade spelling words worksheets

Thirty-six weekly lists for 1st grade, ten words each: seven from the week's pattern, two review words, and one challenge word. The year climbs from CVC families (-at, -an) through digraphs and blends to silent e, vowel teams, and the trickiest sight words. Lists are fixed, so everyone studies the same ten words toward the same Friday.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.1.2.d.

Choose a week to print

All 36 weekly lists are below; each prints with its practice columns.

Tap to see another week's sheet.

The 36 weeks

How the weekly lists work

Read each word. Cover it, write it, then uncover and check.

Week 1 begins: cathatsatmancanpan

All 36 weekly lists are fixed, so a class stays on the same words; the practice columns are yours to print as often as needed.

The lists are fixed on purpose: the whole class studies the same words toward the same Friday. Each week's sheet prints as many copies as you need.

What's on each sheet

Every version prints on US Letter or A4, with its answer key on the last page.

How to teach this

Keep it small and physical: say the word, tap the sounds on fingers, then write. First graders spell by ear, so the pattern week does the heavy lifting; if the child can spell one -at word, celebrate that the next three are the same move. One challenge word is plenty; it's a stretch, not a test.

Watch for: A spelling list is not a memory dare; it's a pattern with examples. Study the pattern first and the words become predictions, not facts to cram. The two review slots aren't filler: familiar words keep confidence up, and from week 2 on they bring back exactly the words about to be forgotten.

Common questions about spelling words

How many words should a 1st grader study a week?
Ten is the sweet spot: seven on one pattern, two familiar review words for confidence, one stretch word. Pattern words cost far less effort than random words, because spelling one teaches the rest. If ten feels heavy in the fall, do the seven pattern words and let the rest ride along.
Should my first grader sound words out or memorize them?
Sound out the pattern words; memorize the rule-breakers. Most of each week's list follows one sound pattern on purpose, and the sight-word week late in the year handles the famous cheaters (said, was, come) that phonics can't reach.

Related worksheets

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Aligned to Common Core L.1.2.d. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 137, updated August 2026.

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