Spelling words › Year 1 spelling words

Year 1 spelling words

These are the Year 1 common exception words from the National Curriculum in England: everyday words like “said”, “once” and “friend” that don’t follow the usual spelling patterns, so children learn them by heart. There are 45 words on the list.

The 45 Year 1 words

Word	What it means
the	Used to point to a specific noun.The cat sat on the mat.
a	Used before nouns to refer to a single item.I have a red apple.
do	To perform an action.Can you do your homework?
to	Expressing motion in the direction of.We are going to the park.
today	This present day.Today is a sunny day.
of	Expressing relationship or belonging.A cup of water.
said	Spoke words aloud.She said hello to me.
says	Speaks words aloud (present tense).He says it is raining.
are	Plural form of 'is'.You are very kind.
were	A past form of “be”, used with we, you and they.We were late for school.
was	A past form of “be”, used with I, he, she or it.It was cold yesterday.
is	Third person singular of 'to be'.The book is heavy.
his	Belonging to him.That is his bike.
has	Owns or holds.She has a red bike.
I	The word you use for yourself. It is always a capital letter.I like painting.
you	The person being spoken to.Thank you!
your	Belonging to you.Put on your coat.
they	The people or things being talked about.They are my friends.
be	To exist, or to have a quality or job.I want to be a vet when I grow up.
he	A word for a boy or man.He is my brother.
me	A word you use for yourself.Please pass the ball to me.
she	A word for a girl or woman.She is my sister.
we	I and other people together.We are going to the zoo.
no	Not any; the opposite of yes.There is no milk left.
go	To move from one place to another.Let’s go to the park.
so	Very, or because of that.It was so funny!
by	Next to, or done by someone.Sit by the window.
my	Belonging to me.This is my coat.
here	In this place.Come and sit here.
there	In that place.Put the box over there.
where	In what place.Where are my shoes?
love	To care about someone very much, or to like something a lot.I love my family.
come	To move towards here.Come and see my drawing.
some	A few, or an amount of.Have some grapes.
one	The number 1.I have one brother.
once	One time, or at some time in the past.Once upon a time, there was a giant.
ask	To say a question to get an answer.Ask your teacher if you need help.
friend	Someone you like and who likes you.My friend lives next door.
school	A place where children go to learn.I walk to school.
put	To place something somewhere.Put your coat on the hook.
push	To move something away from you.Push the door to close it.
pull	To move something towards you.Pull the door to open it.
full	Holding as much as possible.The bucket is full of water.
house	A building where people live.Our house has a red door.
our	Belonging to us.This is our classroom.

How to practise them at home

A few at a time. Five to ten words in a session is plenty. Short and often beats long and rare.
Say it, hear it, write it. Read the word aloud, cover it, write it, then check. Spelling it from memory is what makes it stick.
Come back to the tricky ones. A word spelt right on three different days is usually learnt for good.

More lists: Year 2 spelling words · Year 3 and 4 spelling words · Year 5 and 6 spelling words

Word lists: National Curriculum in England, English programmes of study, Appendix 1 (Department for Education, 2013). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Meanings, examples and recordings by Hootwood.