# Year 3 Spelling Words: 100 Words by Spelling Pattern > Year 3 spelling words grouped by pattern: dge and tch, prefixes, suffix rules and homophones, matched to the Australian Curriculum. Free printable list. ## Year 3 spelling words, grouped by pattern There is no official Year 3 spelling list in Australia. The Australian Curriculum sets out what Year 3 students learn about spelling, and the words themselves are up to the school. So I have put together 100 words that fit the Year 3 patterns: many are the examples the curriculum itself gives, and the rest are everyday words Year 3 writers use and often get wrong. They are grouped by pattern because that is how spelling sticks. A week on dge and tch teaches a rule students can use on hundreds of words that will never be on a list. Use the groups as a bank for weekly lists, a pretest at the start of a unit, or a check in the weeks before NAPLAN. **[Make a printable Year 3 spelling list →](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=3)** Tick the patterns you want, add your own words, and print a look, say, cover, write, check sheet with your class name on it. ## Year 3 Spelling Resources by Australian Teachers _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## What Year 3 Spelling Covers in the Australian Curriculum In the [Australian Curriculum (version 9) for Year 3 English](https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/learning-areas/english/year-3), spelling sits in the Literacy strand under Phonic and word knowledge. In plain words, Year 3 students learn: - to read and write longer words with more complex letter patterns, including digraphs that make more than one sound (the ch in chair, school and machine) - how a prefix changes the meaning of a base word, and the rules for adding a suffix: when to add -es, when to double a letter, when to drop the e - less common patterns after a short vowel, like dge in badge and tch in catch, and three-letter blends like str and spl - most high-frequency words, including some homophones, using the sentence to choose the right one The content descriptions behind this page, in plain words (the curriculum link above has the exact wording): - **AC9E3LY09**: read and write multisyllabic words with more complex letter patterns - **AC9E3LY10**: base words, prefixes, suffixes and the generalisations for adding a suffix - **AC9E3LY11**: phoneme-grapheme relationships and less common letter patterns to spell words, like dge after a short vowel and three-letter blends - **AC9E3LY12**: write most high-frequency words including some homophones Year 3 is the year spelling moves from sounding out to sounding out plus meaning. A student who knows that mis + spell keeps both s letters can spell misspell without ever having practised it. That is why the list below leans on prefixes, suffixes and rules rather than single tricky words. ## 100 Year 3 Spelling Words by Pattern Each group starts with its rule in one line, then the words. Teach the rule first, then practise the words that follow it. ### Three sounds of ch (8 words) ch says ch in chair, k in school and sh in machine. chair, change, school, echo, stomach, machine, chef, parachute ### dge and tch after a short vowel (10 words) Straight after a short vowel, the j sound is dge and the ch sound is tch. badge, edge, fridge, bridge, judge, catch, match, kitchen, stretch, ditch ### Three-letter blends (8 words) In str, scr, spr and spl you hear all three letters. In shr and thr, sh and th are one sound, then r. strip, strong, stream, scream, spring, splash, shrink, throat ### Prefixes un-, re-, mis- and dis- (12 words) The prefix changes the meaning and the base word keeps its spelling, so mis + spell = misspell. undone, unlock, unkind, remove, replay, return, misspell, mistake, misunderstand, disagree, dislike, disappear ### Plurals with -es (10 words) Add -es when the word ends in s, ss, sh, ch, x or z. You can hear the extra syllable. boxes, foxes, dishes, wishes, churches, glasses, buses, lunches, brushes, beaches ### Adding -ed and -ing (12 words) Short vowel and one consonant: double it (hop, hopping). Silent e: drop it (make, making). hopped, hopping, stopped, running, swimming, clapped, making, hoping, smiled, riding, baked, shining ### Suffixes -ful, -less, -ly, -ness and -er (10 words) Most suffixes just go on the end of the base word. -ful has one l. useful, hopeful, careless, helpless, sadly, loudly, kindness, darkness, teacher, painter ### Homophones (16 words) Same sound, different spelling and meaning. Teach them in a sentence, never on their own. there, their, to, too, here, hear, see, sea, break, brake, ate, eight, write, right, knew, new ### Longer everyday words (14 words) Clap the syllables, then spell one syllable at a time: re-mem-ber. yesterday, together, remember, different, favourite, holiday, computer, surprise, tomorrow, family, umbrella, important, afternoon, hospital **[Turn these words into a printable list →](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=3)** ## Homophone Activities for Year 3 _(Dynamic listing feed — browse at the page URL for live results.)_ ## Year 3 Spelling and NAPLAN Year 3 is the first NAPLAN year. Spelling is tested in the conventions of language test, which has a spelling section first and then a grammar and punctuation section ([What is in the tests](https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/whats-in-the-tests), NAP). The test is done online, and some spelling questions use audio dictation: students hear the word through headphones and spell it ([Understanding online assessment](https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/understanding-online-assessment), NAP). Two things follow from that: - **Students need to spell words they have not practised.** There is no NAPLAN word list, and drilling past test words does little. Knowing the patterns on this page does far more, because a student who knows dge after a short vowel can spell fudge, hedge and smudge. - **They need to hear a word and spell it on their own.** Read words aloud in a sentence for your weekly test, the way the dictation questions do, rather than showing the list. For practice tests and proofreading packs, see [NAPLAN practice resources](/teacher-guides/naplan-practice-resources). ## How to Run a Weekly Year 3 Spelling List A weekly list works when it is built around one pattern and students practise only the words they need. This is the routine I would use: 1. **Monday: pretest.** Read 12 to 16 words aloud, each in a sentence. Students write them, then mark their own. The words they spelt correctly come off their personal list. 2. **Teach the pattern.** Spend ten minutes on the rule before any practice. Sort words into groups (hopped and hoping: why does one double?), and ask students to find more words that follow it. 3. **Daily practice: look, say, cover, write, check.** Look at the word and say it, cover it, write it from memory, then uncover it and check every letter. Five minutes a day beats an hour on Thursday night. 4. **Friday: test with a twist.** Test the list, plus two or three new words that follow the same pattern. If students can spell those, the pattern has stuck. Mix in two or three high-frequency or homophone words each week, and a few words from your class topic. The [spelling list maker](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=3) lets you add your own words to any list. For more ideas, see [spelling activities](/teacher-guides/spelling-activities). ## Spelling Words for Other Year Levels Students in one class are rarely all at the same point. Use the year before for students who need to catch up, and the year after for students who are ready to move on. - [Foundation spelling words](/teacher-guides/foundation-spelling-words) - [Year 1 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-1-spelling-words) - [Year 2 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-2-spelling-words) - [Year 4 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-4-spelling-words) - [Year 5 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-5-spelling-words) - [Year 6 spelling words](/teacher-guides/year-6-spelling-words) Or start at the [spelling words by year](/teacher-guides/spelling-words-by-year) guide, which explains how all seven lists fit together. For high-frequency word lists, see the [sight words list](/teacher-guides/sight-words-list) guide. ## Year 3 Spelling Words: Frequently Asked Questions ### Is there an official Year 3 spelling list in Australia? No. The Australian Curriculum sets out the spelling knowledge Year 3 students should learn, such as prefixes, suffix rules and homophones, but it does not give a list of words. Schools and teachers choose the words. The 100 words on this page fit the Year 3 patterns and include many of the examples the curriculum gives. ### How many spelling words should a Year 3 student learn each week? Many Year 3 teachers use 12 to 16 words a week, built around one pattern, with a few high-frequency and topic words added. Students who spell most of the list correctly in the pretest can move on to harder words that follow the same rule. ### What are the hardest words for Year 3 students to spell? Homophones such as there and their, words where a letter doubles before a suffix such as stopped and swimming, and longer everyday words such as different, favourite and tomorrow. They are hard because sounding out alone does not give the right spelling. ### Does NAPLAN test spelling in Year 3? Yes. The NAPLAN conventions of language test starts with a spelling section, and some spelling questions use audio dictation, so students hear a word and spell it. There is no NAPLAN word list, so teaching spelling patterns helps more than practising past test words. ### How do I make a printable Year 3 spelling list? Open the [free spelling list maker](/tools/spelling-list-maker?year=3), tick the patterns or words you want, add your own words and press Print. You get a look, say, cover, write, check sheet or a plain word list on A4. ### Where can I find free Year 3 spelling resources? Australian teachers share free spelling resources on TeachBuySell. [Browse free spelling resources](/s?keywords=spelling&price=0%2C0) and filter by Year 3. --- Source: https://teachbuysell.com.au/teacher-guides/year-3-spelling-words Marketplace: https://teachbuysell.com.au