Why are the vowels so different inside one column?

On purpose: nest, list, and dust share nothing but their ending. Keeping the vowels varied forces the sort to happen by ear at the end of the word, which is the skill, rather than by rhyme or by look-alike spelling.

Why isn't stamp on this worksheet?

Stamp has one ending blend, mp, so it would go in the mp column; the st is its beginning blend. But a child who spots st at the front can drop it in the st column by eye, without listening to the end at all. So the sheet leaves off words that start with a column's blend. Stamp, stand, and stomp are great reading practice; they just make tricky sort items.

2nd grade ending blends (st, nd, mp)

2nd grade ending blends (st, nd, mp) worksheets

Second graders take the same three endings into longer words: contest, weekend, playground. The blend hides at the end of a second syllable now, so hearing it takes more care, and spelling it right is what keeps -nd and -nt from blurring in real writing.

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

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

The kind of words you'll sort

Say each word. Listen to its ending, then write it under its blend.

pretendscampextendcampgroundalmostinlandbreakfastrampbumpcontrastshrimprequest

Columns: -st and -nd and -mp. "breakfast" belongs under -st; "inland" belongs under -nd; "shrimp" belongs under -mp.

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 90 words, 21 to a page. 60 of the 90 aren't on 1st grade sheets. The other 30 are. 1st grade sheets print 15 to a page.

Some of the words:

fastestlongestmidwestassistbeyondseconddefendcampjumpchomp

Sorting. Say each word. Listen to its ending, then write it under its blend. 21 words per page.

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

How to teach this

Move from ear to pencil: after sorting, dictate three words (one per column) and check that both final consonants arrive in writing. Spelling slips like stap for stamp mean the middle of the blend needs ear-time, not more copying. A ten-second hunt for ending blends in any book keeps the pattern warm.

Watch for: An ending blend is not a digraph: in hand you hear both the n and the d, but in duck the ck makes a single sound. The sort goes by what you hear at the end, not by the vowel: lamp and jump land in the same column even though their middles sound nothing alike.

Common questions about 2nd grade ending blends (st, nd, mp)

Why are the vowels so different inside one column?: On purpose: nest, list, and dust share nothing but their ending. Keeping the vowels varied forces the sort to happen by ear at the end of the word, which is the skill, rather than by rhyme or by look-alike spelling.
Why isn't stamp on this worksheet?: Stamp has one ending blend, mp, so it would go in the mp column; the st is its beginning blend. But a child who spots st at the front can drop it in the st column by eye, without listening to the end at all. So the sheet leaves off words that start with a column's blend. Stamp, stand, and stomp are great reading practice; they just make tricky sort items.

Related worksheets

Ready to print one?

Need a fresh set of words? Download another copy.

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

Spot a mistake on this sheet? Tell us. · About these worksheets