Educational quiz app · Ages 5-10
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Educational quiz app · Ages 5-10
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English · Spelling
Year 2 common exception words: all 64 on one printable sheet
In Year 2, children meet a longer list of common exception words: everyday words such as ‘because’, ‘could’, ‘people’ and ‘water’ that don’t follow the usual spelling patterns.
Some of these words are only exceptions in certain accents. The spelling appendix notes that ‘past’, ‘last’, ‘fast’, ‘path’ and ‘bath’ are not exceptions where the a is said as in ‘cat’. Print the list, tick the words your child knows, and practise the rest a few at a time.
Prints on two A4 pages: the full list, then a practice page.
Year 2 common exception words
64 words · tick each one you can spell
- door
- floor
- poor
- because
- find
- kind
- mind
- behind
- child
- children*
- wild
- climb
- most
- only
- both
- old
- cold
- gold
- hold
- told
- every
- everybody
- even
- great
- break
- steak
- pretty
- beautiful
- after
- fast
- last
- past
- father
- class
- grass
- pass
- plant
- path
- bath
- hour
- move
- prove
- improve
- sure
- sugar
- eye
- could
- should
- would
- who
- whole
- any
- many
- clothes
- busy
- people
- water
- again
- half
- money
- Mr
- Mrs
- parents
- Christmas
* ‘Children’ is included because of its link to ‘child’.
National Curriculum in England, English Appendix 1. Open Government Licence v3.0.Look, say, cover, write, check
Write a word from the list in the first column. Look at it and say it. Cover it, write it, then check. Tick it when you get it right.
| Word | Try 1 | Try 2 | Try 3 | ✓ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Free worksheets and the Owee quiz app at owee.world
Is this list statutory?
The National Curriculum asks Year 2 children to learn to spell common exception words. The 64 words are its example list; schools may use these or similar words, ‘according to the programme used’.
How to practise at home
Group words that share a pattern, such as ‘old’, ‘cold’, ‘gold’, ‘hold’ and ‘told’, or ‘could’, ‘should’ and ‘would’. Learning them as a family makes them stick. Use the practice page for look, say, cover, write and check, and come back to tricky words the next day.
Why is ‘children’ on the list?
‘Children’ isn’t really an exception to what children have been taught. It is included because it is related to ‘child’, which is. The asterisk on the list marks this.
Questions parents ask
How many common exception words are there in Year 2?
The National Curriculum in England lists 64 example words for Year 2. Schools may use these or a similar list from their phonics programme.
Should my child know the Year 1 words first?
Yes, ideally. The Year 1 words, such as ‘said’, ‘was’ and ‘friend’, come up constantly in children’s writing, so it is worth checking them before moving on.
Is this printable really free?
Yes. Print it, save it as a PDF or share it with other parents. There is no sign-up and no email needed.
Word list from English Appendix 1: Spelling, National Curriculum in England (Department for Education). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Licence.
Educational quiz app · Ages 5-10
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Educational quiz app · Ages 5-10
More learning in the Owee app
Owee turns topics like this into quizzes for children aged 5 to 10, and a treehouse grows as they learn. No ads, no chat, no strangers.
Scan with your phone camera
- Family-friendly
- No ads
- Private