2nd Grade · Core Spelling
Words Ending in -le
A quiet ending where the last syllable has no vowel sound you can hear — a consonant plus le, as in little, table, and simple.
These spelling words are a good fit for students who...
- can break a two-syllable word into spoken parts
- recognize the quiet consonant + le ending in “table” or “little”
- can read words ending in -le, such as “table” or “little,” even if spelling a new one is still inconsistent
Word list
The 10 words to practice in this step
2nd Grade · Core Spelling
- little
- apple
- table
- simple
- gentle
- middle
- uncle
- circle
- turtle
- people
10 words
Spelling Skill
Multisyllabic Words
Learn how this spelling pattern works, see examples, common mistakes, and teaching guidance.
Explore the Multisyllabic skill →Why these words — and what they teach
Words such as little and table end with a quiet but dependable consonant + le pattern. Recognizing that ending helps children spell the last part without guessing from sound alone.
Every word ends in consonant + le, including apple, simple, circle, and turtle. The varied first parts help children see the ending as one stable unit while applying earlier two-syllable skills. The linked Skill page on longer words remains the deeper reference.
How to practice this list
Say the word, clap its two beats, and have your child box the final three letters. Cover the word, dictate it, and ask the child to spell the first part before adding the complete consonant + le ending.
A child may write littel, leave off silent e, or choose -el because that matches what is heard. Confirm the two beats, reveal a known word such as little, and let the child replace only the ending.
Move on when your child can spot and spell the complete final -le unit, keep both syllables, and correct an -el/-le reversal by comparing with an anchor word.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
- What makes -le a 'final stable syllable'?
- In most syllables, a vowel letter is doing clear work. In a final -le syllable, there is no separate vowel sound you can hear — the l itself carries the syllable, as in the second half of little or table. It is called 'stable' because this ending is spelled the same reliable way almost every time.
- How do children know how to divide a word before -le?
- Count back three letters from the end of the word: consonant, l, e. Everything before that split is the first syllable. In little, that means lit- and -tle; in simple, sim- and -ple.
- Is this the same as words like camel or animal?
- No. Camel and animal end in -el and -al, which are related but different final syllables. This list focuses only on consonant + le, the most common of the three, and keeps the pattern easy to isolate before other endings are introduced later.
- Why do little and people appear on this list even though they are also high-frequency words?
- Both words are useful, everyday examples of the -le pattern, and their appearance here is about the spelling pattern, not about teaching them as high-frequency words — that happens on the High-Frequency Words pages.