Dolch 2nd Grade Sight Words
- 2nd grade
- 46 words
- Common Core RF.2.3f
The Dolch 2nd grade list has 46 words, including some that 2nd graders write in almost every sentence: because, would, their, which, does and very. Reading them quickly matters, and spelling them right matters more and more too.
The 46 Dolch 2nd Grade words
In alphabetical order. Teachers often present these words in lowercase, the way they appear in books.
- always
- around
- because
- been
- before
- best
- both
- buy
- call
- cold
- does
- don't
- fast
- first
- five
- found
- gave
- goes
- green
- its
- made
- many
- off
- or
- pull
- read
- right
- sing
- sit
- sleep
- tell
- their
- these
- those
- upon
- us
- use
- very
- wash
- which
- why
- wish
- work
- would
- write
- your
About the Dolch 2nd Grade list
By 2nd grade, children can sound out most of this list with the phonics they know: short vowels in best, fast, sit, us, wish; silent e in made, gave, five, use, those, these; vowel teams in green, sleep, read; and the ng in sing.
The heart words here are spelling traps as much as reading traps. Because, would, their, does and very are among the most misspelled words in 2nd and 3rd grade writing. Practicing them in writing, not just reading, pays off.
This list also has three homophone traps: right and write, their and there, and buy and by. Teach each pair together with a meaning hint, like "write with a pen" and "their shows who owns it."
Heart words in this list
These words have a part that doesn't follow the sounds your child knows yet. Sound out the rest, then draw a heart over the tricky part and learn it by heart. See what are sight words? for the 5-step method.
| Word | The tricky part |
|---|---|
| because | au says short u; se says z |
| been | ee says short i |
| buy | uy says long i |
| does | oe says short u |
| many | a says short e |
| their | eir says air |
| very | y says long e |
| would | oul says the oo in book; w and l are tricky |
| your | our says or |
| work | or says er |
| pull | u says the oo in book |
| write | w is silent |
| wash | a says ah |
| always | al says aw |
Words to sound out instead of memorizing: best, fast, sit, us, wish, its, off, which, call, cold, both, made, gave, five, use, these, those, green, sleep, sing, found, around, first, tell. If your child knows the phonics pattern, teach these with phonics. It's faster, and the same skill works on thousands of other words.
Sentences to read
Every sentence below uses words from this list or earlier lists. Read them together, or let your child read them on their own once the words are familiar.
- I always wash my hands before lunch.
- Which book would you like to read?
- We found five green frogs.
- Does your dog sleep a lot?
- It is very cold, so wear a coat.
- Their house is around the corner.
- Write your name first.
- Why did you call me?
- I gave both of them a gift.
- We sing because it is fun.
How to practice the 2nd Grade list
- Pick five words a week. At five a week, the whole list takes about 10 weeks. Mix one or two heart words with easier ones.
- Sound out first. For regular words, have your child blend the sounds. For heart words, sound out the regular parts and point to the tricky part.
- Flash daily. Use the flashcards from the PDF for one minute a day. A word counts as known when your child reads it in under three seconds, three days in a row.
- Find them in books. Before reading a book together, ask your child to spot this week's words on a page.
- Write them. Spelling a word out loud while writing it makes it stick much faster than reading alone.
Keep a "know it" pile and a "still learning" pile. Kids love watching the "know it" pile grow, and it shows you exactly which words need more practice.
Quiz: Dolch 2nd Grade words
Read each sentence and tap the word that fits. The speaker button reads the sentence aloud, without giving away the answer.
-
1.I _____ brush my teeth before bed.
Show answer
always: I always brush my teeth before bed.
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2.Did you _____ your hands?
Show answer
wash: Did you wash your hands?
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3._____ is my coat?
Show answer
Which: Which is my coat?
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4.The ice is very _____.
Show answer
cold: The ice is very cold.
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5.Can you _____ a song?
Show answer
sing: Can you sing a song?
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6.I _____ my name on the paper.
Show answer
write: I write my name on the paper.
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7.Run! Go _____!
Show answer
fast: Run! Go fast!
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8.There are _____ fingers on one hand.
Show answer
five: There are five fingers on one hand.
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9._____ is the sky blue?
Show answer
Why: Why is the sky blue?
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10.I stayed home _____ I was sick.
Show answer
because: I stayed home because I was sick.
Printable list and flashcards
The free PDF has 5 US Letter pages: a checklist of all 46 words with a box to tick for each word your child knows, and 4 pages of large flashcards to cut out, 12 to a page. Print on card stock if you can.
More sight word lists
See every list, the 1,000 most common words and how sight words fit with phonics on the sight words page. For picture words to practice alongside this list, try the Dolch nouns. For the skills around this list, see the 2nd grade page.
Last reviewed: November 11, 2026
Questions parents ask
How many Dolch 2nd grade words are there?
46 words, from always, around and because to would, write and your.
Which 2nd grade sight words are hardest to spell?
because, would, their, does, very, many and been. Practice them in writing, not only reading.
Are right and write both on the list?
Yes. They sound the same but mean different things: write with a pencil; right means correct or the opposite of left.
What comes after the 2nd grade list?
The Dolch 3rd grade list, 41 words like laugh, eight, together and myself.
Are the Dolch words still used?
Yes. Many US schools still use the Dolch lists, often alongside the Fry lists, to choose which common words to practice first.