Spot the Tricky Part
Read each word. Circle the letters that don't sound the way they are spelled.
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This is sheet #80124601.
How to do it
- Read the word out loud.
- Find the letters that don't sound the way they are spelled.
- Circle them.
Teaching tip
The key shows one tricky part, but a few words have more than one. Talk about any part that seems tricky. This sheet is aligned with Common Core RF.3.3d.
About this worksheet
Tricky words in letter tiles. Circle the part that doesn't follow the rules, like the ough in enough.
What kids practice
Tricky words are common words that are not spelled the way they sound, like enough, friend and island. Third graders learn to read and spell these words by heart. Most of each word still follows the rules, so it helps to find the one part that is tricky.
Watch for
- Spelling the word the way it sounds, like "enuf" for enough.
- Mixing up words that look alike, like though, through and thought.
- Skipping words that aren't used often, so they get forgotten.
It's free to print, with Fewer, Standard or More on the page and an answer key. See the full third-grade tricky words guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. Tricky Words ChartAll 50 third-grade tricky words with boxes to track progress. - See it all
2. Sound It Out CardsAll 50 tricky words split into sounds or syllables, like a • gain, with the tricky part marked with a heart and how a dictionary says each word (3 pages). - See it all
3. Sound BoxesAll 50 tricky words with one box for each sound or syllable and a dot to tap under each box (2 pages). - See it all
4. Sound It Out ListAll 50 tricky words in a list with the sound parts, an easy "say it" spelling, how a dictionary says it, and what makes it tricky (4 pages). 
5. Read, Trace, WriteRead each tricky word, trace it twice, then write it twice on its own.
7. Fill In the Tricky WordSentences to complete with tricky words from a word box.
8. Tricky Word CardsTwelve cut-out flash cards of third-grade tricky words.