forty
Forty is spelled for + ty. Do not carry the u from four into forty.
2nd Grade · Themed Spelling Practice
2nd Grade Number Spelling Words 20–100
Written decade words appear in math, dates, addresses, and many other kinds of writing. This eight-word set compares the shared ty ending with the spelling changes in thirty, forty, fifty, and eighty.
Word list
All 8 words in this list
2nd Grade · Themed Spelling Practice
- thirty
- forty
- fifty
- sixty
- seventy
- eighty
- ninety
- hundred
8 words
What to notice when spelling these words
Seven words share the ending ty
Thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, eighty, and ninety all end with the same letters, ty. The final y spells the long e sound. Say the beginning, then attach the stable written ending ty.
Sort the beginnings by whether they stay or change
Sixty and seventy keep the complete spellings of six and seven. Ninety keeps nin from nine and drops the silent e. The other changed beginnings are thir in thirty, for in forty, fif in fifty, and eigh in eighty.
Organize hundred separately
Hundred does not use the ty ending. Say its two syllables, hun-dred, and check the consonant sequence dr in the second syllable. Treating it as the one word outside the decade pattern prevents an automatic ty ending.
Notes for particular words
fifty
The beginning of fifty is fif, not five. Replace the ve in five with f before adding ty.
eighty
Begin with eigh, the vowel spelling from eight, but drop the final t before adding ty.