What about y saying long i, like fly?

That is its own pattern with its own page (Y as a Vowel). This sheet focuses the igh/ie contrast so the position pattern can stand out clearly.

How can I extend the practice?

Word hunts. Give your child a page of any book and one minute to find igh or ie words. Patterns found in the wild stick better than patterns met only on worksheets.

2nd grade long i teams (igh, ie)

2nd grade long i teams (igh, ie) worksheets

Second graders sort quickly and extend the pattern to bigger words (bright, flight, cried, tried), including ie inside past tense words where y changed to i.

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.

flsnecktdelttbrtfrt

Columns: igh and ie. Only igh turns "br_t" into a real word, so bright goes under igh; Only ie turns "neckt_" into a real word, so necktie goes under ie.

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 26 words, 14 to a page. 1st and 2nd grade print from the same 26 words. What changes is the standard (RF.2.3.b here) and the teaching notes below. 1st grade sheets print 10 to a page.

Some of the words:

lightrightmightfrightsighmidnighthighpiefliesmagpie

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

Play position detective: where does igh like to stand, and what letter usually follows it? (Usually t, though high and sigh end with it.) Where does ie stand? Rules a child discovers from the evidence outlast rules they are told.

Watch for: The gh in igh is completely silent; it is part of the vowel team, not a sound. Kids who try to pronounce it need to see igh as one glued-together piece. Position is a strong hint, not a law: igh usually comes before t (night, right, light) but also ends words like high and sigh, and ie usually ends short words (pie, tie). Noticing where each team stands is the real lesson of the sort.

Common questions about 2nd grade long i teams (igh, ie)

What about y saying long i, like fly?: That is its own pattern with its own page (Y as a Vowel). This sheet focuses the igh/ie contrast so the position pattern can stand out clearly.
How can I extend the practice?: Word hunts. Give your child a page of any book and one minute to find igh or ie words. Patterns found in the wild stick better than patterns met only on worksheets.

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Aligned to Common Core RF.2.3.b. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated October 2026.

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