Year 3 spelling words: the Australian list
Every word below comes from the Australian Curriculum v9 and the Oxford Wordlist — the high-frequency words and spelling patterns Australian children meet in Year 3. Each word has an example sentence, and your child can practise the whole list with free Australian-accent dictation and games.
Print it, stick it on the fridge, or practise a handful a day — little and often is what makes spelling stick. And because these are the same words and patterns NAPLAN draws on, regular practice quietly takes care of test preparation too.
Practise these words free — no signup needed
Hear each word read aloud in an Australian accent, or turn the list into a game.
Try free dictation practice Play a spelling game Start freeThe full Year 3 word list
High-frequency words (Oxford Wordlist) (50 words)
- about
- after
- again
- always
- another
- around
- asked
- away
- because
- before
- began
- behind
- being
- between
- both
- brought
- called
- change
- children
- coming
- could
- different
- does
- during
- earth
- enough
- every
- example
- family
- father
- first
- follow
- found
- friend
- great
- group
- heard
- high
- important
- inside
- keep
- knew
- large
- later
- learn
- light
- might
- money
- morning
- mother
Consonant blends (13 words)
- scratch
- screen
- splash
- split
- spread
- spring
- strange
- stream
- string
- strong
- three
- through
- throw
Consonant digraphs (12 words)
- chair
- cheese
- chicken
- shape
- share
- should
- think
- those
- thought
- where
- which
- while
Tricky patterns (10 words)
- badge
- bridge
- catch
- fridge
- judge
- kitchen
- match
- phone
- photo
- watch
Silent letters (13 words)
- climb
- comb
- knee
- knife
- knight
- knock
- know
- lamb
- thumb
- wrap
- wrist
- write
- wrong
Prefixes (12 words)
- disagree
- disappear
- misread
- misspell
- rebuild
- redo
- replay
- rewrite
- unhappy
- unkind
- unlock
- unsafe
Suffixes (17 words)
- babies
- churches
- coming
- dishes
- dropped
- foxes
- having
- hopping
- jumped
- making
- parties
- played
- running
- sitting
- stopped
- stories
- swimming
Contractions (14 words)
- can't
- couldn't
- didn't
- don't
- I'm
- isn't
- it's
- shouldn't
- they're
- wasn't
- we're
- won't
- wouldn't
- you're
Homophones (17 words)
- hear
- here
- knew
- new
- peace
- piece
- right
- sea
- see
- their
- there
- to
- too
- two
- wear
- where
- write
Words in sentences
Hearing a word in context makes it far easier to remember. A few examples from the list:
scratch — The cat might scratch you.
screen — Look at the screen.
splash — The dog made a big splash.
split — We split the cake in half.
spread — Spread the butter on the bread.
spring — Flowers bloom in spring.
strange — I heard a strange sound.
stream — We crossed the stream.
Frequently asked questions
How many spelling words should a Year 3 child practise each week?
Around 10–15 words a week works well for most Year 3 children — enough to build momentum without overwhelm. Short daily sessions of ten minutes beat one long weekly session, because spaced repetition is how spelling actually sticks.
Are these the NAPLAN spelling words?
NAPLAN doesn't publish an official word list, but these words are drawn from the Australian Curriculum v9 and the Oxford Wordlist — the same high-frequency words and spelling patterns NAPLAN tests. Practising them regularly is the best preparation there is.
Can my child practise these words for free?
Yes — Thinkaroo reads words aloud in an Australian accent for free dictation practice, and there are free spelling games your child can play right now without creating an account.
Practise these words free — no signup needed
Hear each word read aloud in an Australian accent, or turn the list into a game.
Try free dictation practice Play a spelling game Start freeAlso see: Year 4 spelling words · Year 5 spelling words · Year 6 spelling words · Sight words