National curriculum in England
Years 1 and 2 spelling words: common exception words
In short: These are the DfE's common exception word examples for England: 45 words for Year 1 and 64 for Year 2. Teaching common exception words is statutory; these named examples are non-statutory. Follow your school's phonics programme. Use them alongside the phonics, patterns and spelling rules children learn in class.
Go to the free printable checklistJust Year 1? See the 45 examples and one-page checklist
Just Year 2? See the 64 examples and grouped checklist
What this list covers
The Department for Education lists these words as common exceptions for Key Stage 1. Use the list for recall alongside reading, phonics teaching and the spelling patterns and rules children meet in class.
Many parts of a common exception word follow familiar phonics. In said, s and d behave as expected, while ai is the unusual part. The Department for Education recommends drawing attention to that part so children can combine known sound-letter matches with the part needing extra attention.
Common exception, tricky and high-frequency are not identical
A school may use terms such as tricky word, red word or camera word, depending on its phonics programme. High-frequency simply means a word appears often; many frequent words can be decoded normally once their letter-sound matches have been taught. Follow the school’s terminology, but keep the useful question: which part is regular, and which part needs extra attention?
Year 1 common exception words
45 common exception word examples from the DfE
- the
- a
- do
- to
- today
- of
- said
- says
- are
- were
- was
- is
- his
- has
- I
- you
- your
- they
- be
- he
- me
- she
- we
- no
- go
- so
- by
- my
- here
- there
- where
- love
- come
- some
- one
- once
- ask
- friend
- school
- put
- push
- pull
- full
- house
- our
Year 2 common exception words
64 common exception word examples from the DfE
- door
- floor
- poor
- because
- find
- kind
- mind
- behind
- child
- children
- wild
- climb
- most
- only
- both
- old
- cold
- gold
- hold
- told
- every
- everybody
- even
- great
- break
- steak
- pretty
- beautiful
- after
- fast
- last
- past
- father
- class
- grass
- pass
- plant
- path
- bath
- hour
- move
- prove
- improve
- sure
- sugar
- eye
- could
- should
- would
- who
- whole
- any
- many
- clothes
- busy
- people
- water
- again
- half
- money
- Mr
- Mrs
- parents
- Christmas
Free classroom and home resource
Free printable Year 1 and Year 2 spelling checklist
Use your browser or device’s Print command to save or print this page. The three columns record what you observed at different points; they do not turn one spelling check into a permanent label.
This is an observation record, not a diagnostic assessment. A correct word in a list is useful evidence, but seeing the spelling used independently in writing gives a fuller picture.
Year 1 and Year 2 common exception words checklist
Spellito · spellito.com/years-1-2-spelling-words
- Pupil or class code
- ____________________
- Year group
- ____________________
- Term or review period
- ____________________
Record the evidence your setting finds useful. This checklist is not a diagnostic assessment and does not replace phonics, spelling-pattern teaching or professional judgement.
| Word | Starting spelling check | Review after a gap | Independent writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| the | |||
| a | |||
| do | |||
| to | |||
| today | |||
| of | |||
| said | |||
| says | |||
| are | |||
| were | |||
| was | |||
| is | |||
| his | |||
| has | |||
| I | |||
| you | |||
| your | |||
| they | |||
| be | |||
| he | |||
| me | |||
| she | |||
| we | |||
| no | |||
| go | |||
| so | |||
| by | |||
| my | |||
| here | |||
| there | |||
| where | |||
| love | |||
| come | |||
| some | |||
| one | |||
| once | |||
| ask | |||
| friend | |||
| school | |||
| put | |||
| push | |||
| pull | |||
| full | |||
| house | |||
| our |
| Word | Starting spelling check | Review after a gap | Independent writing |
|---|---|---|---|
| door | |||
| floor | |||
| poor | |||
| because | |||
| find | |||
| kind | |||
| mind | |||
| behind | |||
| child | |||
| children | |||
| wild | |||
| climb | |||
| most | |||
| only | |||
| both | |||
| old | |||
| cold | |||
| gold | |||
| hold | |||
| told | |||
| every | |||
| everybody | |||
| even | |||
| great | |||
| break | |||
| steak | |||
| pretty | |||
| beautiful | |||
| after | |||
| fast | |||
| last | |||
| past | |||
| father | |||
| class | |||
| grass | |||
| pass | |||
| plant | |||
| path | |||
| bath | |||
| hour | |||
| move | |||
| prove | |||
| improve | |||
| sure | |||
| sugar | |||
| eye | |||
| could | |||
| should | |||
| would | |||
| who | |||
| whole | |||
| any | |||
| many | |||
| clothes | |||
| busy | |||
| people | |||
| water | |||
| again | |||
| half | |||
| money | |||
| Mr | |||
| Mrs | |||
| parents | |||
| Christmas |
Record the evidence your setting finds useful. This checklist is not a diagnostic assessment and does not replace phonics, spelling-pattern teaching or professional judgement.
Turn a list into practice
Use a short set and work from sound to spelling. This keeps the phonics your child knows active while giving the exceptional part enough attention to be recalled later.
- 1
Say and understand the word
Say the word naturally and put it into a short sentence so your child knows which word they are spelling.
- 2
Segment the sounds
Ask your child to say the sounds from left to right and match the letters or letter groups they have already learned.
- 3
Spot the exceptional part
Mark only the sound-to-letter match that is unusual or has not been taught yet. Keep using phonics for the rest of the word.
- 4
Cover and write
Hide the spelling, ask for one calm attempt from memory, then compare the attempt with the target straight away.
- 5
Use it and return later
Write or dictate a simple sentence containing the word, then revisit it in a later short session rather than repeating it many times at once.
More spelling help
Primary sources
Spellito is an independent practice app. The Department for Education publishes the teaching requirements in the English programmes of study and the named common exception word examples in English Appendix 1: Spelling, under “Example words (non-statutory)”.
Updated 28 October 2026.
Questions from parents
What is a common exception word?
A common exception word contains a sound-to-letter match that is unusual or has not been taught yet. Most of the word may still follow phonics, so help your child notice the exceptional part rather than treating the whole word as a picture.
Are common exception words the same as tricky words?
Schools and phonics programmes sometimes call them tricky words, red words or camera words. Those labels can vary. Common exception word is the term used in England's national curriculum, so follow the language your child's school uses when practising together.
Should children learn common exception words by sight?
Say the sounds, use the letter-sound matches your child already knows and identify the unusual or not-yet-taught part. Draw attention to that part, then practise recalling the whole spelling.
Are these all the spellings a Year 1 child learns?
No. These are the DfE's 45 Year 1 examples. Teaching common exception words is statutory, while the named examples are non-statutory: schools may use these and other words according to their phonics programme. Children also learn phonics, spelling patterns and spelling rules through the wider English curriculum.
Are these all the spellings a Year 2 child learns?
No. The 64 Year 2 words are non-statutory DfE examples, alongside phonics, spelling patterns and spelling rules. Teaching common exception words is statutory; follow the words and sequence introduced by your school's phonics programme.
Can my child practise without an account?
Yes. Start a short Year 1 or Year 2 practice set as a guest. A parent account is only needed for saved family progress and custom school-word lists.
Can I print a Year 1 and Year 2 common exception words checklist?
Yes. This page includes a free printable checklist for all 45 Year 1 and 64 Year 2 words. Use it to record a starting spelling check, a later review and evidence from independent writing. It records observations rather than assigning a fixed judgement label.
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