Grade 1 Spelling

Spelling is a difficult skill to master, especially in first grade. All children learn at a different pace, and spelling can quickly become a frustration for some, as they feel a need to spell everything correctly from the very beginning of elementary school. First grade spelling is about grasping basic spelling rules and building a strong foundation for future grade levels.

First grade spelling requires learners to use their phonics skills to understand:

• words with common spelling patterns
• frequently occurring irregular words

Common Spelling Patterns

First graders will start by spelling CVC (consonant, vowel, consonant) words. In these words, each sound is audible and can be used to help children to spell the word.

Here are some common first grade spelling word patterns:

• c-a-t
• n-u-t
• h-o-t
• j-e-t
• w-e-t

These are also considered to be common first grade sight words!

Long and Short Vowel Sounds

All five vowels have a long and a short sound. Learners in first grade should understand that these sounds are spelled differently depending on whether the sound is long or short. First graders are also expected to know the spellings for the short vowel sounds and some of the long vowel sounds.

Short Vowel Sounds

Vowel	Spelling	Example
a	a	a/pple
e	e	e/gg
i	i	i/nk
o	o	o/tter
u	u	u/mbrella

Long Vowel Sounds

Long vowel sounds "say their name" - i.e. their pronunciation within a word is the same as when spoken as an individual letter.

Practice Tip

Challenge your child to practise their spelling skills by playing the range of spelling games available on Night Zookeeper!

Blends, Digraphs, Suffixes & Contractions

The following blends, digraphs, suffixes, and contractions are all commonly covered in first grade spelling.

Spelling Blends With Short Vowels

Words with initial consonant blends sn, st, sw, sp, sm

• snap, stop, swim, spot, smock, slip

Words with initial consonant blends fl, gl, cr, tr

• flop, glad, crab, truck

Words with final blends -sk, -sp, -st

• ask, wisp, lost

Words with final blends -pt, -ft, -ct, -nt, -lt, -xt, -lp, -lk, -lf

• kept, lift, act, sent, jolt, next, help, elk, golf

Words with final blends -mp, -nd, -nch

• jump, sand, lunch

Spelling Consonant Digraphs

Words With the Digraphs ck, qu

• lock, rock, sick, duck, back, peck
• queen, quack, quit

Words With the Digraphs ff, ss, ll, zz (double final consonants)

• off, huff, puff
• hiss, boss, Tess
• ball, doll, hill
• buzz, fizz, jazz

Words With the Digraphs ch, sh, th, wh, ph

• chop, chin, chug
• ship, shed, shell
• them, then, moth
• wheel, when, whip
• dolphin, phonics, phone

Words With the Digraph oo

This digraph makes two different sounds.

• short sound → oo → book
• long sound → oo → spoon

Practice Tip

Learners can work through the lesson series called Night Zoo Spelling on Night Zookeeper. The lesson pictured below will test your child’s spelling skills, as well as their reading comprehension, as it requires them to show their understanding of the word’s meaning within a specific context.

Spelling Words With Inflectional Endings and Suffixes

-s and -es

• cats, bats, dogs
• benches, boxes, buzzes

Practice Tip

Another Night Zoo Spelling lesson will teach your first grader all they need to know about plurals, to help them learn how to add -s and -es to the end of words.

-ing and -ed

• singing, sweeping, running
• jumped, helped, rained

For help with suffixes, children can head to the lesson series Night Zoo Spelling for some tips from Riya on spelling words that end with the suffix -ing.

Contractions

Contractions are two words put together and shortened, for speed of communication. The letters removed in the process of contracting are replaced by an apostrophe. Here are some common examples:

• I am → I'm
• He is → He's
• She is → She's
• Cannot → Can't
• Will not → Won't
• Do not → Don't

Practice tip

Make flashcards for the contractions above and then ask your child to identify the two words that make up each contraction.

Frequently Occurring Irregular Words

Some words do not follow phonics and spelling rules. Learners need to memorize how to spell these words as they cannot rely on phonic knowledge to identify the individual sounds and corresponding letters.

This list includes examples of frequently occurring irregular words first graders should recognize:

• the, you, said, his, to, they
• were, do, was, are, some, your
• of, there, because, as, is, one
• what, would, could, who, two, too

Syllables

Breaking words into syllables helps children to spell words correctly. A syllable is a beat in a word.

There are seven different types of syllables that children learn. Some of these are introduced in first grade spelling. The slash marks show where one syllable ends and another begins within a word.

Closed Syllables

A closed syllable usually has a short vowel sound followed by a consonant.

This word has two closed syllables:

kit/ten

Open Syllables

An open syllable ends with a vowel which usually gives a long sound.

This word has an open syllable followed by a closed syllable.

li/on

VCE Syllable (vowel-consonant-e)

This syllable has the pattern vowel-consonant-e.

cake

Vowel Team Syllable

A vowel team is when two vowels make one vowel sound.

boat

R-Controlled Syllable

In this type of syllable, a vowel is followed by the letter r which changes the sound the vowel makes.

car

Practice Tip

Get your first grader to put a hand under their chin and count the number of times it drops. This will then count the syllables in a word.

Check out these first grade spelling word lists:

• Age 5-6 word spelling lists
• Age 6-7 word spelling lists
• Your child can learn all sight words through the Dolch sight words list. This list was created by Edward William Dolch, and includes the most commonly used words in the English language. Visit our Grade 1 reading page to access the Dolch sight words list!

How Night Zookeeper can help

Night Zookeeper can help your first grader level up their spelling skills in a matter of just a few weeks! Our award-winning language arts program covers all the spelling rules learners should understand at this grade level, featuring word games on vowels and consonants, sight words, and vocabulary, spelling and reading comprehension lessons, exciting challenges, and much more. And the best part is that they can practice their spelling skills at home!

Our spelling games for kids are particularly good at keeping learners engaged and motivated to learn, and we even send out monthly worksheets and printable resources for learning on-the-go.

Sign up today to get a FREE 7-day trial and kickstart your first grader’s language arts journey!

Related articles

• Elementary Spelling
• Spelling Games For Kids
• Elementary Language Arts
• Grade 1 Reading
• Grade 1 Writing
• Grade 1 Grammar
• Grade 1 Punctuation