Fun Ways to Practice Spelling Words (Free Games, K-12)

Seven fun ways to practice a spelling list: hear-it-spell-it games, drumming the syllables, a word-guess game, typing practice and more. Free spelling games for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

Copying a spelling list out ten times is boring, and it isn't even the best way to learn it. What makes a word stick is trying to spell it from memory, then checking. And a little practice spread over the week beats one big cram the night before the test. Here are seven ways to do that which feel more like playing than studying.

1. Hear it, spell it

The real test is hearing a word and writing it down, so practice exactly that. In the free RockBlocks spelling game, you hear a word, spell it, and earn a beat block for every right answer. Spell all eight words in a round and the blocks build a two-measure drum beat. There are word lists for every grade from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

2. Drum the syllables

Long words are easier in chunks. Before spelling a word, clap or tap its syllables: “fan-tas-tic” is three taps. Then spell it one chunk at a time. Kids who drum the parts of a word stop leaving out the middle.

3. Say, spell, say

Say the word, spell it out loud letter by letter, then say it again. It sounds simple, but saying the letters in rhythm makes a kind of song out of the word, and songs are easy to remember.

4. Look, cover, write, check

The classic for a reason: look at the word, cover it up, write it from memory, then uncover it and check. Every round is a tiny test, which is exactly the kind of practice that works. Circle any letters you missed and try that word again tomorrow.

5. Play a word-guessing game

Guessing games make kids think hard about which letters go where. RockWords is a free Wordle-style game with words picked for each grade, from Kindergarten to Grade 12, and every guess turns into part of a drum beat.

6. Type the list

Typing a word uses different muscles than writing it, so it's one more way to practice the same letters, and it builds keyboard skills too. In RockType, every key on the keyboard is a drum, so a spelling list becomes a beat as you type.

7. Turn the list into a song

For a fun finish, type the whole spelling list into TextyBeat, which turns any words into a drum beat, or TextySong, which turns them into a whole song. Every letter sounds different, so a spelling mistake changes the beat.

A simple week with a spelling list

• Day 1: a quick pretest. Practice only the words that were missed.
• Days 2 to 4: ten minutes a day, mixing two or three of the ideas above.
• Day 5: a practice test the day before the real one, then celebrate.

Free spelling games by grade

Kindergarten · Grade 1 · Grade 2 · Grade 3 · Grade 4 · Grade 5 · Grade 6 · Grade 7 · Grade 8 · Grade 9 · Grade 10 · Grade 11 · Grade 12