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Spelling Words with 'Y' Making the Long 'E' Sound at Word Endings

Learning to spell multisyllabic words with 'y' making the long 'e' sound at the end is an important skill for developing readers and writers. This comprehensive list includes common words that follow this phonics pattern, making it an excellent resource for teachers, parents, and students working on spelling mastery.

Understanding the Pattern

When 'y' appears at the end of a multisyllable word, it often makes the long 'e' sound (/i/). This pattern is consistent across many English words and helps students predict spelling patterns in unfamiliar words. Understanding this rule helps build confidence in both reading and writing.

Alignment with Common Core Standards

This word list aligns with multiple Common Core Standards, particularly in the areas of spelling patterns and word recognition. The specific standards addressed include:

  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.2.2.D: "Generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words"
  • CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.3.2.F: "Use spelling patterns and generalizations in writing words"

These standards emphasize the importance of recognizing and applying spelling patterns, which is exactly what students practice when working with words ending in 'y' making the /i/ sound. This phonics pattern represents a key spelling generalization that helps students develop their literacy skills.

Complete Word List

Adverbs and Descriptive Words

  • badly
  • softly
  • quickly
  • nearly
  • mainly
  • fairly
  • exactly
  • suddenly
  • simply
  • daily

Adjectives

  • ugly
  • cloudy
  • greedy
  • sandy
  • windy
  • empty
  • nasty
  • rainy
  • weary
  • angry
  • hungry
  • clumsy
  • gloomy
  • lucky
  • rocky
  • sticky
  • jelly
  • jolly
  • silly
  • chilly
  • funny
  • sunny
  • muddy
  • dizzy
  • berry
  • merry

Nouns

  • family
  • candy
  • laundry
  • industry
  • enemy
  • body
  • study
  • copy
  • pity
  • dairy
  • penny
  • puppy
  • hobby
  • carry
  • marry
  • sorry

Numbers and Quantities

  • fifty
  • plenty
  • twenty

Other Common Words

  • easy
  • drowsy
  • envy
  • very
  • happy

Teaching Tips

These words can be grouped by similar endings or usage types to help students recognize patterns. Many of these words are commonly used in elementary and middle school vocabulary, making them excellent choices for spelling practice and word study activities.

Create a worksheet using words from this list

Practice Suggestions

  1. Sort words by parts of speech
  2. Group words by number of syllables
  3. Create sentences using multiple words from the list
  4. Practice changing root words to add the 'y' ending
  5. Use words in creative writing exercises

Remember that consistent practice with these spelling patterns will help students internalize the rules and improve their overall spelling accuracy.