2nd grade consonant-le endings (-le, -el, -al) worksheets

Second graders sort the consonant-le family: words ending -le (table, apple), -el (camel, towel), and -al (metal, pedal). The ending always forms the word's final syllable.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core RF.2.3.c.

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The kind of words you'll complete and sort

Fill in the missing letters to make a real word, then write the whole word in its column.

ang (a kind heavenly being)marbroyeaspedlittmiddbarrnorm

Columns: -le and -el and -al. Only le turns "marb_" into a real word, so marble goes under -le; Only el turns "barr_" into a real word, so barrel goes under -el; Only al turns "roy_" into a real word, so royal goes under -al.

Every print pulls a fresh set of word lists at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling never gets the same sheet.

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

Sort by eye, then read each column aloud and notice the endings all sound the same. Naming that surprise out loud is the lesson: this is a spelling pattern, and the eye is in charge.

Watch for: All three endings SOUND identical, so this is a spelling-memory sort, not a listening sort. That is exactly why the families are worth sorting: the eye must learn what the ear cannot tell. -le is the giant family (table, little, purple); -el and -al are smaller clubs. When in doubt while writing, -le is the percentage play, then check.

Common questions about consonant-le endings (-le, -el, -al)

Why do these words get their own page?
The consonant-le ending is one of the six syllable types teachers build reading on, and its three spellings are a classic sorting decision that pure listening cannot make.
Which spelling should kids reach for first?
-le, by the numbers: table, little, middle, purple, and hundreds more. The -el and -al words are smaller families learned by membership.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.2.3.c. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 179, updated August 2026.

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