How do kids pick a spelling when writing?

Position leans: aw ends words (saw, draw) and precedes n or l (lawn, crawl); au works inside (sauce, fault). It is a lean rather than a law, and the sort builds the instinct.

Is the l in walk really silent?

Yes, in walk, talk, and chalk the l is silent; in salt and halt it is spoken. Both kinds keep the same vowel sound, which is why they sort together.

2nd grade variant vowel /ô/ (aw, au, al)

2nd grade variant vowel /ô/ (aw, au, al) worksheets

Second graders place aw, au, and al words quickly and use position clues when spelling: aw for endings, au for middles, al before consonants.

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.

pselnchfulhl (drag something heavy)lnhkclwlfl

Columns: aw and au / augh and al. Only aw turns "_ful" into a real word, so awful goes under aw; Only au turns "p_se" into a real word, so pause goes under au / augh; Only al turns "c_l" into a real word, so call goes under al.

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 36 words, 21 to a page. 1st to 3rd grade print from the same 36 words. What changes is the standard (RF.2.3.b here) and the teaching notes below. 1st grade sheets print 15 to a page.

Some of the words:

drawcrawlhawkauthorapplaudwalksmalltallballfall

Complete and sort. Fill in the missing letters to make a real word, then write the whole word in its column. 21 words per page.

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

How to teach this

After sorting, hunt positions: which column owns the ends of words? Which column hides an l? Position talk turns three arbitrary spellings into a map.

Watch for: Position leans the choice: aw likes word endings and stands before n and l (dawn, crawl); au sits inside words (sauce, autumn); with al, the l is spoken in salt and ball but silent in walk and talk, and the vowel sounds the same either way. The augh in caught and taught is the au family wearing extra letters. Sort those with au and read the gh as silent.

Common questions about 2nd grade variant vowel /ô/ (aw, au, al)

How do kids pick a spelling when writing?: Position leans: aw ends words (saw, draw) and precedes n or l (lawn, crawl); au works inside (sauce, fault). It is a lean rather than a law, and the sort builds the instinct.
Is the l in walk really silent?: Yes, in walk, talk, and chalk the l is silent; in salt and halt it is spoken. Both kinds keep the same vowel sound, which is why they sort together.

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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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