Compound Word Lists

Students begin to recognize and understand simple compound words, such as airplane and toothbrush, in first grade, then progress to more complex compound words. Students learn that the compound words definition deems them as words that are made up of two whole words that function as a single unit of meaning, and that the two words give clues to the meaning of the compound word. Students also begin to notice that there are many compound word families that use the same base word, such as house (doghouse, birdhouse, farmhouse). Practicing engaging compound words activities early and often helps build a strong vocabulary foundation for students.

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Compound Words Practice
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What is a Compound Word?

There are three different types of compound words:

Closed form: Two words are joined together to create a new meaning (firefly, softball, redhead, keyboard, makeup, notebook).
Hyphenated form: Words are joined together by a hyphen (daughter-in-law, over-the-counter, six-year-old).
Open form: Words are open but when read together, a new meaning is formed (post office, real estate, full moon).

Studying the types of compound words offers a great opportunity to engage students in understanding the English language. It builds an interest in words and will help prepare students to learn prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.

VocabularySpellingCity provides free ready-made compount word practice lists and interactive learning games to further engage students in word study. Leveled compound word activities and lists range from elementary to high school. Lists can be paired with compound word games, like Read-A-Word, to build compound word practice and mastery. Use our lists of compound words for kids within the game or in your lessons to improve retention!

To help engage your students and instill long-term learning of compound words, try a classroom activity like “Compound Words Day,” in which students come to school wearing objects that are compound words (see photo above ). You can have your students go on a scavenger hunt at home or using items you supply in the classroom. The kids can attach the items to their clothes or a hat, and describe them in class, or go “on parade” to another classroom to show their creativity and what they learned. Fun compound word activities help engage students and promote enjoyment of learning.

Compound Word Lists View the Common Core State Standards Related to Compound Words Close

Common Core State Standards Related to Compound Words

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.2.4.d
Use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words (e.g., birdhouse, lighthouse, housefly, bookshelf, notebook, bookmark).

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1st Grade Compound Words:

bluebird, starfish, sunset, bathtub, sandbox, sailboat, flagpole, teacup, backpack, playpen

2nd Grade Compound Words:

List 1: suntan, notebook, inside, myself, outside, birdhouse, homework, birthday, without, something
List 2: butterfly, footprint, goldfish, ladybug, mailbox, raincoat, snowman
List 3: seesaw, rainbow, cupcake, sunshine, airplane, lunchbox, lipstick, barnyard, anyone, cowboy

3rd Grade Compound Words:

List 1: downtown, teaspoon, airport, grandmother, snowflake, afternoon, drumstick, baseball, racetrack, handshake
List 2: toothbrush, sunburn, underwater, flashlight, newspaper, peanut, textbook, doorbell, rowboat, spaceship
List 3: anthill, backyard, daylight, earring, handstand, scorekeeper, seashell, shoelace, sunrise, yearbook

4th Grade Compound Words:

List 1: dishwasher, playground, teammate, yardstick, windshield, fisherman, saltwater, weekend, homesick, mailbox
List 2: cardboard, downstairs, fingerprint, haircut, lifeguard, sandpaper, sidewalk, sunlight, thunderstorm, toothpaste

5th Grade Compound Words:

List 1: earthquake, countdown, candlestick, barefoot, bathrobe, classroom, fingernail, roommate, dashboard, overdue
List 2: breakfast, shipwreck, tombstone, wildlife, guardrail, suitcase, surfboard, tiptoe, lighthouse, chairperson

6th Grade Compound Words:

courthouse, landslide, windmill, goalkeeper, coastline, homemade, sawdust, drawstring, skateboard, flashback

7th Grade Compound Words:

heartbreak, whirlpool, daredevil, earache, pitfall, thumbtack, password, wallpaper, soundtrack, newborn

8th Grade Compound Words:

darkroom, masterpiece, sightseeing, drawback, milestone, landmark, stomachache, halfway, newcomer, daydream

9th Grade Compound Words:

mankind, viewpoint, guideline, headfirst, straightforward, icebreaker, throughout, marketplace, driftwood, whirlwind

10th Grade Compound Words:

levelheaded, threadbare, thoroughfare, layman, hindsight, awestruck, timberline, sharecropper, lackluster, pigeonhole

VocabularySpellingCity.com provides compound word practice lists, printables, and interactive games and activities that give students the opportunity to use their knowledge of indvidual words to predict the meaning of compound words.

Try Read-A-Word with the 2nd Grade Compound Words practice list.