Why does royal have oy in the middle?

Oy ends the first syllable: roy-al, and a vowel comes right after it. Loyal and voyage work the same way. The end-of-syllable pattern is the grown-up version of the end-of-word one, and second graders handle it well once they see the split. Oyster is the odd one out, so learn it by sight.

What are the highest-value words here?

The everyday spellers: oil, coin, point, voice, noise, boy, toy, enjoy. They show up in second grade writing constantly.

2nd grade diphthongs oi and oy

2nd grade diphthongs oi and oy worksheets

Second graders apply the pattern in longer words (poison, destroy, royal), where oy can also end a syllable inside a word, and use the position rule when spelling.

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

Each print is a different sheet with its own answer key. You don't need to sign up.

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.

nsebmstvagelall

Columns: oi and oy. Only oi turns "n_se" into a real word, so noise goes under oi; Only oy turns "b_" into a real word, so boy goes under oy.

Every print pulls a new set of words at this level, so a make-up test or a second sibling gets a different mix.

What's on a 2nd grade sheet

2nd grade sheets draw from 27 words, 14 to a page. All 26 of 1st grade's words are here too, plus 1 more. 1st grade sheets print 10 to a page.

Some of the words:

soilfoilcoilpoisontoyjoyenjoyloyalannoyemploy

Complete and sort. Fill in the missing letters to make a real word, then write the whole word in its column. 14 words per page.

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

How to teach this

Challenge round: can your child find or invent any English word that ends in oi? The failed hunt is the lesson, and it is the same territory-splitting deal that ai and ay made.

Watch for: This is a position pattern, the same shape as ai/ay: oi inside before a consonant (boil, point), oy at the end (toy, enjoy) or before a vowel (royal, voyage). English words essentially never end in oi. A few words break the pattern, like oyster, and are learned by sight. A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides: the mouth moves while saying it. Have your child watch their lips in a mirror on 'oil' and feel the slide.

Common questions about 2nd grade diphthongs oi and oy

Why does royal have oy in the middle?: Oy ends the first syllable: roy-al, and a vowel comes right after it. Loyal and voyage work the same way. The end-of-syllable pattern is the grown-up version of the end-of-word one, and second graders handle it well once they see the split. Oyster is the odd one out, so learn it by sight.
What are the highest-value words here?: The everyday spellers: oil, coin, point, voice, noise, boy, toy, enjoy. They show up in second grade writing constantly.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.2.3.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 241, updated October 2026.

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