How are 8th grade spelling words different from 7th grade?

The roots are less common (loqu, sequ, ambi, tort), and new weeks teach students to check a spelling against a related word: sign and signal, solemn and solemnity, compete and competition. The vocabulary weeks move to physical science, US history, math, and literature terms.

What if my 8th grader already spells well?

Start with the challenge words in each week, then the challenge review in week 36. Words like reconnaissance and paraphernalia slow down strong spellers. The root weeks also double as vocabulary practice, which pays off in reading.

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8th grade spelling words

8th grade spelling words worksheets

Thirty-six weekly lists for 8th grade, fifteen words each. The roots get longer and less familiar (loqu, sequ, tort, ambi, nym), and new weeks use one word to spell another: the g you hear in signal explains the silent g in sign, and compete tells you which vowel competition needs. The year ends with science, history, math, and literature vocabulary, and a last list of words adults still look up.

Free printable PDF worksheet, aligned to Common Core L.8.2.c.

Choose a week to print

All 36 weekly lists are below; each prints with its practice columns.

The 36 weeks

How the weekly lists work

Read each word. Cover it, write it, then uncover and check.

Week 1 begins: processprocessionaccessaccessoryexcessexcessive

All 36 weekly lists are fixed, so a class stays on the same words; the practice columns are yours to print as often as needed.

The lists are fixed on purpose: the whole class studies the same words toward the same Friday. Each week's sheet prints as many copies as you need.

What's on an 8th grade sheet

8th grade has 36 weekly lists of 15 words, 540 words across the year. None of these words are on 7th grade sheets.

Words from across the year:

aversepreparationprophecyambiguitylinearrotationepilogueoccasionallydisenfranchisecontemporaneous

Weekly list. Read each word. Cover it, write it, then uncover and check. 15 words per page.

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

How to teach this

Eighth graders spell best when one word checks another. Before writing condemn, say condemnation. Before writing competition, say compete. Build that habit on the related-word weeks and it carries into every essay. For the vocabulary weeks, ask for a sentence from the class the word came from. A science word spelled right in a lab report counts for more than one spelled right on a list.

Watch for: A spelling list is not a memory dare; it's a pattern with examples. Study the pattern first and the words become predictions, not facts to cram. The two review slots aren't filler: familiar words keep confidence up, and from week 2 on they bring back exactly the words about to be forgotten.

Common questions about 8th grade spelling words

How are 8th grade spelling words different from 7th grade?: The roots are less common (loqu, sequ, ambi, tort), and new weeks teach students to check a spelling against a related word: sign and signal, solemn and solemnity, compete and competition. The vocabulary weeks move to physical science, US history, math, and literature terms.
What if my 8th grader already spells well?: Start with the challenge words in each week, then the challenge review in week 36. Words like reconnaissance and paraphernalia slow down strong spellers. The root weeks also double as vocabulary practice, which pays off in reading.

Related worksheets

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Every week's list is one click, any time of year.

Aligned to Common Core L.8.2.c. Reviewed by the One more sheet team. Content version 240, updated October 2026.

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