Free to print · A4 handwriting sheets
Free word pyramid spelling sheets for EYFS to Year 6
Choose a year group, then build the word as a pyramid. Each row adds one letter, and each letter has its own writing line. A longer word makes a taller pyramid. Every sheet is free and carries www.spellstep.co.uk.
To download, choose Print and then Save as PDF. For a clean page, set margins to None and turn off browser headers and footers.
How to use the word pyramids
A word pyramid builds a spelling one letter at a time. The top row has the first letter. Each row adds the next letter, and the bottom row is the whole word. Every letter sits on its own line, so the child can write it in.
The lists are arranged for UK primary ages, from Reception to Year 6. They are practice lists for home and school, to sit alongside the spelling taught in class. Spell Step is an independent site and these sheets are not published by the Department for Education.
- Choose the year group, then choose the curriculum list or the extended list.
- Leave the lines blank for the child to fill, or choose Show letters for a finished pyramid to copy.
- Type a name and date on the sheet if you want them printed.
- Print this sheet, or print the full set. In the print window, choose Save as PDF if you want a file.
A three-letter word such as “use” has three rows: u, then u s, then u s e. A longer word has more rows, so its pyramid is taller. That is expected. Blank lines leaves every line empty. Show letters fills the pyramid. First letter writes only the top letter. Hide word clears the word on the left as well, for a test. Handwriting-line sheets are on the spelling sheets page.
Spelling words by year group
The same lists used on the sheets. Words in bold are the curriculum set for that age group. Extended list keeps every word. Words are set in Lexend so similar letters stay easy to tell apart.
EYFS / Reception spelling words
EYFS and Reception spelling words
Age 5 band. Early words for children in Reception, to copy and remember.
- a
- all
- am
- an
- and
- are
- as
- ask
- at
- away
- bag
- be
- bed
- been
- big
- blue
- book
- box
- but
- by
- can
- cat
- chair
- child
- come
- dad
- day
- did
- do
- dog
- down
- drink
- each
- eat
- find
- first
- for
- friend
- from
- full
- funny
- get
- go
- had
- happy
- has
- have
- he
- help
- her
- here
- him
- his
- house
- how
- I
- if
- in
- into
- is
- it
- its
- jump
- like
- little
- long
- look
- love
- made
- make
- man
- many
- may
- me
- more
- mum
- my
- no
- not
- now
- number
- of
- on
- once
- one
- or
- other
- our
- out
- part
- pen
- people
- play
- pull
- push
- put
- red
- run
- sad
- said
- says
- see
- she
- sit
- so
- sun
- than
- that
- the
- they
- time
- to
- toy
- two
- up
- use
- was
- way
- we
- were
- who
- will
- with
- you
- your
Year 1 spelling words
Year 1 spelling words
Age 6 band. Common words and early spelling patterns for Year 1.
- a
- about
- after
- again
- air
- also
- animal
- another
- answer
- any
- are
- around
- ask
- ate
- back
- be
- because
- before
- black
- boy
- brown
- by
- called
- came
- car
- change
- come
- could
- different
- do
- does
- end
- even
- flower
- follow
- form
- found
- four
- friend
- full
- game
- give
- go
- good
- great
- hand
- has
- he
- here
- his
- home
- house
- I
- is
- just
- kind
- know
- land
- large
- learn
- letter
- line
- live
- love
- me
- means
- men
- moon
- most
- mother
- move
- much
- must
- my
- name
- need
- new
- no
- of
- off
- old
- once
- one
- only
- our
- over
- page
- picture
- place
- plane
- please
- point
- pretty
- pull
- push
- put
- ran
- read
- ride
- right
- said
- same
- saw
- say
- says
- school
- sentence
- set
- she
- should
- show
- small
- so
- some
- soon
- sound
- spell
- star
- still
- study
- such
- take
- talk
- tell
- the
- their
- them
- then
- there
- these
- they
- things
- think
- this
- three
- through
- to
- today
- too
- train
- tree
- try
- turn
- under
- us
- very
- walk
- want
- was
- water
- we
- well
- went
- were
- what
- when
- where
- which
- white
- why
- woman
- words
- work
- world
- would
- write
- years
- yellow
- you
- your
Year 2 spelling words
Year 2 spelling words
Age 7 band. Everyday words, contractions and words children meet in Year 2 reading.
- above
- add
- after
- again
- almost
- along
- always
- any
- apple
- baby
- ball
- bath
- bear
- beautiful
- because
- began
- begin
- behind
- being
- bell
- below
- between
- bird
- birthday
- boat
- both
- bread
- break
- brother
- busy
- cake
- carry
- chicken
- child
- children
- Christmas
- city
- class
- climb
- close
- clothes
- coat
- cold
- corn
- could
- country
- cow
- cut
- doll
- don’t
- door
- duck
- earth
- egg
- enough
- even
- every
- everybody
- example
- eye
- eyes
- face
- family
- far
- farm
- farmer
- fast
- father
- feet
- few
- find
- fire
- fish
- floor
- fly
- food
- garden
- girl
- going
- gold
- goodbye
- got
- grass
- great
- ground
- group
- grow
- half
- hard
- head
- hear
- high
- hill
- hold
- horse
- hour
- idea
- important
- improve
- Indian
- it’s
- keep
- kind
- kitty
- last
- late
- leave
- left
- leg
- let
- life
- light
- list
- many
- might
- mile
- milk
- mind
- miss
- money
- morning
- most
- mountains
- move
- Mr
- Mrs
- near
- nest
- never
- next
- night
- often
- old
- only
- open
- own
- paper
- parents
- party
- pass
- past
- path
- people
- pig
- plant
- poor
- pretty
- prove
- rabbit
- rain
- real
- ring
- river
- robin
- round
- Santa Claus
- sea
- second
- seed
- seem
- sheep
- shoe
- should
- side
- sister
- snow
- something
- sometimes
- song
- squirrel
- start
- state
- steak
- stick
- stop
- story
- street
- sugar
- sure
- table
- thank
- thing
- those
- thought
- together
- told
- took
- top
- until
- watch
- water
- while
- who
- whole
- wild
- wind
- window
- without
- wood
- would
- young
Year 3 and 4 spelling words
Year 3 and 4 spelling words
Ages 7 to 9 band. Longer words children meet in lower Key Stage 2.
- able
- accident
- accidentally
- accommodate
- accompany
- according
- achieve
- across
- actual
- actually
- address
- afraid
- against
- aggressive
- ago
- although
- amateur
- among
- ancient
- answer
- apparent
- appear
- appreciate
- area
- arrive
- attached
- available
- average
- awkward
- bargain
- base
- bean
- became
- become
- believe
- best
- better
- bicycle
- birds
- body
- brave
- breath
- breathe
- brief
- bring
- brought
- bruise
- brush
- build
- building
- built
- business
- busy
- buy
- calendar
- call
- cannot
- careful
- carefully
- category
- caught
- ceiling
- cemetery
- centre
- century
- certain
- check
- cheerful
- chest
- chief
- circle
- cleaner
- clear
- cloud
- committee
- common
- communicate
- community
- competition
- complete
- conscience
- conscious
- consider
- contain
- continue
- controversy
- convenience
- correct
- correspond
- course
- covered
- cried
- criticise
- crunch
- cube
- curiosity
- dark
- decide
- decided
- deep
- definite
- describe
- desperate
- determined
- develop
- dictionary
- different
- difficult
- disappear
- disastrous
- done
- draw
- drove
- dry
- during
- early
- earth
- easy
- eight
- eighth
- embarrass
- enough
- environment
- equip
- especially
- exaggerate
- excellent
- exercise
- existence
- experience
- experiment
- explain
- explanation
- extreme
- fall
- familiar
- famous
- favourite
- feast
- February
- feel
- field
- filled
- finally
- fine
- flame
- float
- force
- foreign
- forty
- forward
- forwards
- frequently
- friends
- front
- fruit
- gave
- goes
- government
- graceful
- grammar
- green
- grief
- group
- guarantee
- guard
- guide
- happened
- harass
- heard
- heart
- heat
- heavy
- height
- helpful
- hindrance
- history
- hope
- hopeful
- hours
- hundred
- identity
- imagine
- immediate
- immediately
- important
- include
- increase
- individual
- inside
- interest
- interfere
- interrupt
- island
- knowledge
- language
- lawful
- leaf
- learn
- leisure
- length
- library
- lightning
- listen
- low
- machine
- marvellous
- material
- measure
- medicine
- mention
- minute
- mischievous
- muscle
- music
- natural
- naughty
- necessary
- neighbour
- niece
- notice
- nuisance
- occasion
- occasionally
- occupy
- occur
- often
- opportunity
- opposite
- ordinary
- pair
- parliament
- particular
- pattern
- peaceful
- peculiar
- perhaps
- persuade
- physical
- piece
- popular
- position
- possess
- possession
- possible
- potatoes
- prejudice
- pressure
- privilege
- probably
- profession
- programme
- promise
- pronunciation
- purpose
- quarter
- question
- queue
- reach
- recent
- recognise
- recommend
- regular
- reign
- relevant
- remember
- restaurant
- rhyme
- rhythm
- sacrifice
- secretary
- sentence
- separate
- shoulder
- signature
- sincere
- sincerely
- soldier
- special
- stomach
- straight
- strange
- strength
- sufficient
- suggest
- suppose
- surprise
- symbol
- system
- temperature
- therefore
- thorough
- though
- thought
- through
- twelfth
- variety
- various
- vegetable
- vehicle
- weight
- woman
- women
- yacht
- true
Year 5 and 6 spelling words
Year 5 and 6 spelling words
Ages 9 to 11 band. Longer words for upper Key Stage 2, including prefixes, suffixes and unstressed endings.
- absence
- abundance
- acceptance
- accessible
- accommodate
- accompany
- accomplish
- according
- achievable
- achieve
- achievement
- acquaintance
- adaptable
- addition
- adjective
- admirable
- adorable
- adventure
- advocate
- aggressive
- agreeable
- agreement
- agriculture
- alliance
- amateur
- ambiguous
- analysis
- ancient
- anticipate
- antonym
- apparent
- appearance
- appreciate
- argument
- assessment
- assistance
- associate
- atmosphere
- attached
- attention
- audible
- audience
- authentic
- available
- average
- awkward
- ballet
- bargain
- barometer
- believable
- beneficial
- bilateral
- biography
- biology
- brilliance
- bruise
- bulletin
- cafeteria
- capable
- capital
- category
- celebration
- cemetery
- characteristic
- circumference
- circumvent
- cliché
- collaborate
- collection
- comfortable
- commission
- commitment
- committee
- communicate
- community
- competition
- compliance
- compound
- conscience
- conscious
- consequence
- consonant
- controversy
- convenience
- correspond
- criticise
- croissant
- curiosity
- curriculum
- darkness
- debris
- decimal
- defiance
- definite
- democracy
- demonstrate
- dependable
- depot
- desert
- desperate
- determination
- determined
- develop
- diameter
- dictionary
- dilemma
- direction
- disagree
- disastrous
- dislike
- displace
- distance
- distrust
- disturbance
- education
- elaborate
- electricity
- eloquence
- embarrass
- energy
- engine
- entertainment
- environment
- equinox
- equip
- equipment
- equipped
- equivalent
- equivocal
- especially
- essence
- establish
- evaluate
- evidence
- exaggerate
- excellent
- existence
- explanation
- expression
- facade
- familiar
- fashionable
- flexible
- forcible
- foreign
- forty
- fraction
- frequently
- friendship
- generation
- genre
- geography
- geology
- gnat
- gnaw
- gnome
- government
- guarantee
- happiness
- harass
- helpless
- hindrance
- identity
- illuminate
- immediate
- immediately
- imperfect
- impolite
- impossible
- improper
- incomplete
- incredible
- independence
- indicate
- indirect
- individual
- industry
- informal
- information
- instruments
- interfere
- interference
- interrupt
- investigate
- invisible
- justice
- kindness
- kneel
- knife
- knight
- knot
- language
- laughed
- leadership
- legislation
- leisure
- lightning
- located
- loudness
- lunchbox
- marvellous
- melody
- metal
- method
- microphone
- microscope
- millennium
- mischievous
- mixture
- molecules
- moment
- moonlight
- mortality
- motivation
- muscle
- naïve
- nation
- necessary
- neighbour
- notebook
- nuisance
- observation
- observe
- occupy
- occur
- occurrence
- opportunity
- original
- oxygen
- palette
- parliament
- patience
- payment
- performance
- perimeter
- permissible
- persistence
- persuade
- petite
- phonics
- photograph
- photosynthesis
- phrase
- physical
- planets
- plateau
- plural
- polygon
- population
- powerful
- prejudice
- preparation
- president
- privilege
- process
- profession
- programme
- pronunciation
- property
- provision
- queue
- quiet
- quite
- rapport
- reaction
- rebuild
- recognise
- recommend
- reference
- relevance
- relevant
- remainder
- repeated
- represent
- responsible
- restaurant
- result
- resume
- revision
- reward
- rewrite
- rhyme
- rhythm
- routine
- sacrifice
- sadness
- sandcastle
- schedule
- science
- secretary
- sensible
- sequence
- shoulder
- signature
- sincere
- sincerely
- singular
- soldier
- soldiers
- solution
- solve
- someone
- southern
- souvenir
- speed
- starfish
- statement
- stomach
- stronger
- students
- substance
- substances
- substantial
- suddenly
- sufficient
- suffix
- suggest
- sunflower
- sunlight
- supply
- syllables
- symbol
- symbols
- synonym
- system
- tableau
- teacher
- telephone
- telescope
- temperature
- terrible
- thermometer
- thorough
- thoroughly
- thumbnail
- tournament
- treasure
- treatment
- triangle
- trouble
- twelfth
- underline
- unhappy
- unique
- unkind
- unpack
- unusual
- valley
- value
- variety
- vegetable
- vehicle
- visible
- visualise
- vitality
- vocabulary
- vocal
- vocation
- waterfall
- weather
- western
- wrestle
- wrist
- written
- wrong
- yacht
- yourself
Questions about these spelling sheets
Are these spelling sheets free?
Yes. You can print them at home or at school, or save them as a PDF from the print window. Each sheet includes www.spellstep.co.uk so families can find the lists again.
Which year groups are included?
There are five lists: EYFS and Reception (age 5), Year 1 (age 6), Year 2 (age 7), Year 3 and 4 (ages 7 to 9), and Year 5 and 6 (ages 9 to 11). Choose the list that matches the child, or an earlier list if they need more practice.
Can I print only the National Curriculum words?
Yes. Choose English National Curriculum for Years 1 to 6, or EYFS Statutory Framework for Reception. Extended list keeps every word for that age group. Years 1 and 2 use the common exception words. Years 3 to 6 use the statutory word lists. The EYFS framework asks children to read some common exception words but does not name them, so the Reception set uses the Year 1 common exception words already in that list. Spell Step is not an official publication.
How does a word pyramid work?
The top row is the first letter. Each row adds the next letter, and the bottom row is the whole word. Every letter has its own writing line, so the number of rows matches the number of letters.
How do I save a spelling sheet as a PDF?
Choose Print this sheet or Print full set. In the print window, choose Save as PDF. For a clean A4 page, set the margins to None and turn off the browser headers and footers.
Can I change how many words are on a page?
Yes. Use the plus and minus controls beside Most on a sheet. That number is a maximum. A long word has a taller pyramid, so fewer pyramids fit on the A4 page.
May schools photocopy these sheets?
Yes. The sheets are free for families and schools. Please keep www.spellstep.co.uk on the page so pupils can find the lists again.