Year 2 common exception spelling words

Common exception words (also called "tricky words" or "red words") are words that don't follow the regular phonics patterns children are taught in Key Stage 1. Because they can't simply be decoded, they need to be learned whole — through repeated exposure, memory, and practice.

The Year 2 list builds on the Year 1 common exception words. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are expected to read and spell all the words on both lists correctly. These words appear in the KS1 national assessments (SATs reading and spelling, grammar, punctuation tests).

Why "exception" words are harder to learn

When a child is learning phonics, they're building rules: this letter makes this sound. Common exception words break those rules. because has a silent 'e' where none is expected. people has an unpredictable vowel pattern. said sounds nothing like it's spelled.

This means the standard phonics strategy — sound it out — doesn't work. Children need a different approach: see it, say it in a sentence, write it from memory. That's exactly how SpellCast teaches them.

How teachers typically use this list

• Weekly spelling tests: Most Year 2 classes work through a selection of these words each week, combining them with words from the current phonics unit.
• Flashcard practice: The words are displayed on classroom word walls and practised as flashcards, both at school and at home.
• KS1 SATs preparation: The KS1 spelling test (taken in May of Year 2) draws directly from this list and the Year 1 list.
• Cross-curriculum writing: Teachers reinforce these words when marking, drawing attention every time one is misspelled in a piece of writing.

Tips for learning common exception words

• Say it in a sentence. Words learned in context stick better than words in isolation. SpellCast reads every word in a real example sentence — just as a teacher would in a dictation test.
• Test, don't re-read. Looking at the word again is less effective than trying to recall it. The "testing effect" is well-established in cognitive science — active retrieval beats passive review.
• Short sessions, often. Five minutes a day, four days a week outperforms a single thirty-minute session. Spacing matters.
• Focus on the tricky bit. Help children identify what makes the word tricky — the silent letter, the unusual vowel — and draw attention to that specific part.