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Spelling List Maker

Pick a year level, tick the spelling patterns or single words you want, add your own, and print a look, say, cover, write, check sheet or a word list. Every year's words follow the Australian Curriculum. Free, with no sign-up.

8 words, 1 A4 page.

Look, say, cover, write, check

Name: Year 3 spelling

Look at the word and say it. Cover it. Write it from memory. Uncover it and check each letter, then tick or fix it.

Look and sayWrite✓Write✓Write✓
chair
change
school
echo
stomach
machine
chef
parachute

Made with the free spelling list maker at teachbuysell.com.au

8 words

Want lessons and games for these patterns? Australian teachers sell Year 3 spelling units, word sorts and task cards, most for under $10.

Year 3 spelling resources by Aussie teachers

See all

A weekly spelling list in a minute

Pick a year level and the spelling patterns for that year appear, with the words that fit each one. Tick a whole pattern or single words, add words of your own, then print a look, say, cover, write, check sheet or a plain list to send home. Every list follows the spelling focus of the Australian Curriculum (version 9) for that year, from CVC words in Foundation to Latin and Greek roots in Year 6.

How to run a weekly list

  • Pretest: read the words aloud at the start of the week. Students practise only the words they got wrong.
  • Teach the pattern: show what the words have in common (the dge after a short vowel, the y that changes to i) before any practice.
  • Practise: a few minutes a day with the look, say, cover, write, check sheet. Put the list up full screen and go through it one word at a time.
  • Check: test at the end of the week with a few new words that follow the same pattern, to see whether the pattern has stuck and not just the list.

Spelling words for each year

Each guide explains the year's spelling focus in plain words, lists all 100 words by pattern and has resources made by Australian teachers.

For activities to go with the lists, see spelling activities, and for high-frequency word lists, the sight words list guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is the spelling list maker free?

Yes. Pick the words, print the sheet and photocopy it for your class. There is no sign-up and nothing to download.

Where do the word lists come from?

Each year level follows the spelling content in the Australian Curriculum (version 9) English for that year, in the Phonic and word knowledge part of the Literacy strand. Many words are the examples the curriculum itself gives. The high-frequency words are common words found near the top of the lists Australian schools use, such as the Oxford Wordlist and the Magic 100 Words. There is no official spelling list for any year level, so these are words that fit each year, not a mandated list.

How does look, say, cover, write, check work?

Students look at the word and say it, cover it, write it from memory, then uncover it and check every letter. The sheet has three goes for each word with a column to tick each one. It works best once students have been taught the pattern the words share.

Can I add my own words?

Yes. Type them into Add your own words, separated by commas or on new lines. They go at the end of the list, after the words you ticked. Words from a class topic or from student writing make good additions.

How many words should a weekly spelling list have?

As a guide, 3 to 5 words in Foundation, 5 to 8 in Year 1, 8 to 12 in Year 2 and 12 to 20 in Years 3 to 6, all sharing one pattern plus a few high-frequency or topic words. A short list taught well beats a long list sent home.

Can I save or share a list?

Yes. The link in the address bar always matches your list, including the year, the ticked words and your own words. The class name is printed on the sheet but never saved in the link, so type it again after opening one. Press Copy link to paste it into a planner or send it to another teacher.