Second Grade Sight Words (Full Dolch Grade 2 List)
Quick answer
The 46 second grade sight words are the Dolch grade 2 list, the high-frequency words a child learns to read on sight in second grade: 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. They build on the 133 Dolch words from Pre-K through first grade; a child who masters this set knows about 179 Dolch words in total. Below is the full list with a sample sentence for each.
Second Grade Sight Words
All 46 Dolch second-grade sight words, with a simple example sentence and pronunciation for each. Native-audio flashcards with spaced repetition — buy once, no subscription.
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All 46 second grade sight words (Dolch grade 2)
Each word with a simple example sentence.
| Sight Words | Pronunciation | Meaning | Listen |
|---|---|---|---|
| always | AWL-ways | We always eat lunch at noon. | |
| around | uh-ROWND | We walked around the big park. | |
| because | bee-KUZ | I am happy because we play. | |
| been | bin | I have been to the zoo. | |
| before | bee-FOR | Wash your hands before you eat. | |
| best | best | This is my best drawing yet. | |
| both | bohth | Both dogs like to run. | |
| buy | by | We buy milk at the store. | |
| call | kawl | Please call me after school. | |
| cold | kohld | The cold water felt nice. | |
| does | duz | She does her homework early. | |
| don't | dohnt | Please don't touch the hot stove. | |
| fast | fast | The car goes very fast. | |
| first | furst | She was first in line. | |
| five | fyv | I have five red apples. | |
| found | fownd | I found my lost shoe. | |
| gave | gayv | Mom gave me a hug. | |
| goes | gohz | She goes to school by bus. | |
| green | green | The frog is bright green. | |
| its | its | The dog wagged its tail. | |
| made | mayd | We made a sandcastle today. | |
| many | MEN-ee | There are many stars tonight. | |
| off | awf | Please turn off the light. | |
| or | or | Do you want milk or juice? | |
| pull | puul (rhymes with full) | Pull the wagon up the hill. | |
| read | reed (or red) | I like to read books. | |
| right | ryt | You got the right answer. | |
| sing | sing | We sing songs at school. | |
| sit | sit | Please sit on the chair. | |
| sleep | sleep | I sleep in my own bed. | |
| tell | tel | Tell me about your day. | |
| their | thair | The kids lost their ball. | |
| these | theez | These apples are very sweet. | |
| those | thohz | Those birds are up high. | |
| upon | uh-PON | The cat sat upon the wall. | |
| us | us | Come and play with us. | |
| use | yooz | I use a spoon to eat. | |
| very | VAIR-ee | The soup is very hot. | |
| wash | wawsh | Wash your hands before eating. | |
| which | wich | Which shirt do you like? | |
| why | wy | Why is the sky blue? | |
| wish | wish | I wish for a puppy. | |
| work | wurk | We work hard in class. | |
| would | wood | I would like some water. | |
| write | ryt (sounds like right) | I write my name neatly. | |
| your | yor | Is this your red hat? |
Frequently asked questions
How many sight words should a second grader know?
Second graders learn the 46 Dolch second-grade words on top of the 133 words from Pre-K through first grade, so by the end of second grade a child typically reads about 179 Dolch words on sight.
What are the hardest second grade sight words?
The trickiest are the ones that cannot be sounded out or that look alike: because, always, would, could, and buy (versus by) are the usual stumbling blocks and need sight recognition through repetition.
What is the best way to practice second grade sight words?
A few minutes of daily review works better than long weekly drills. Have the child read each word aloud, hear it, and use it in a sentence; spaced repetition brings each word back right before it fades.
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