A 100-word spelling bee list for 3rd graders, categorized by difficulty.
Study tips & strategies to help kids remember words effectively.
Printable 3rd Grade Spelling Worksheets for extra practice.
Spelling Games for Kids to make learning fun.
How to prepare for a competitive spelling bee in 3rd grade.
Word | Part of Speech | Origin | Definition + Example Sentence |
---|---|---|---|
jump | verb | Old English | To push oneself off a surface and into the air. Example: The cat can jump very high. |
kept | verb | Old English | Past tense of keep, meaning to hold or retain. Example: She kept the letter in a safe place. |
knot | noun | Old English | A fastening made by tying a piece of string or rope. Example: He tied a knot in the rope. |
lawn | noun | Middle English | An area of grass in a garden. Example: The children played on the lawn. |
left | noun or verb | Old English | Past tense of leave; or the opposite of right. Example: He left the house early. |
load | verb | Old English | To put things into a vehicle. Example: They load the truck with boxes. |
lose | verb | Old English | To fail to keep something. Example: I often lose my keys. |
make | verb | Old English | To create or produce something. Example: She can make delicious cakes. |
much | adjective | Old English | A large amount. Example: He didn’t eat much for dinner. |
near | adverb | Old English | Close to something. Example: The store is near my house. |
open | adjective | Old English | Not closed. Example: The door was left open. |
quick | adjective | Old English | Moving fast. Example: He made a quick decision. |
round | adjective | Old English | Shaped like a circle. Example: The ball is round. |
start | verb | Old English | To begin doing something. Example: He will start his new job tomorrow. |
warm | adjective | Old English | Having a mild heat. Example: The soup is warm. |
wide | adjective | Old English | Having a great extent. Example: The river is very wide. |
wish | verb | Old English | To want something. Example: I wish for a new bike. |
work | noun | Old English | Activity involving effort. Example: She goes to work every morning. |
write | verb | Old English | To mark letters or words. Example: She can write a letter. |
young | adjective | Old English | Not old. Example: The puppy is still young. |
ask | verb | Old English | To inquire about something. Example: She asked a question. |
begin | verb | Old English | To start something. Example: The show will begin soon. |
carry | verb | Old English | To hold and move something. Example: She can carry the heavy bag. |
clean | adjective | Old English | Free from dirt. Example: The room is clean. |
dry | adjective | Old English | Not wet. Example: The clothes are dry now. |
easy | adjective | Old English | Not difficult. Example: The test was easy. |
find | verb | Old English | To locate something. Example: He found his lost keys. |
happy | adjective | Old English | Feeling joy. Example: She is very happy today. |
jump | verb | Old English | To push oneself off a surface. Example: The dog can jump high. |
laugh | verb | Old English | To express happiness. Example: He laughed at the joke. |
light | adjective | Old English | Not heavy. Example: This bag is very light. |
long | adjective | Old English | Not short. Example: The road is very long. |
love | noun | Old English | A deep feeling of affection. Example: She has love for her family. |
open | verb | Old English | To make accessible. Example: Please open the door. |
pick | verb | Old English | To choose something. Example: Pick a number between 1 and 10. |
play | verb | Old English | To engage in an activity for fun. Example: The kids love to play outside. |
quick | adverb | Old English | Moving fast. Example: He ran very quick. |
quiet | adjective | Old English | Making little noise. Example: The library is quiet. |
read | verb | Old English | To understand written text. Example: He can read very well. |
rest | noun | Old English | A period of relaxation. Example: I need to rest after work. |
run | verb | Old English | To move fast on foot. Example: She can run very fast. |
safe | adjective | Old English | Free from danger. Example: The neighborhood is safe. |
small | adjective | Old English | Not large. Example: The puppy is small. |
soft | adjective | Old English | Not hard. Example: The pillow is soft. |
stand | verb | Old English | To be upright. Example: He can stand for hours. |
strong | adjective | Old English | Having great strength. Example: The athlete is very strong. |
talk | verb | Old English | To communicate with words. Example: They talk every day. |
thank | verb | Old English | To express gratitude. Example: She thanked her friend. |
try | verb | Old English | To attempt something. Example: He will try his best. |
walk | verb | Old English | To move on foot. Example: She walks to school. |
Word | Part of Speech | Origin | Definition + Example Sentence |
---|---|---|---|
anger | noun | Old English | A strong feeling of displeasure. Example: His face turned red with anger. |
artist | noun | Latin | A person who creates art. Example: She is a talented artist. |
awake | verb | Old English | Not sleeping. Example: He stayed awake all night. |
blaze | noun | Old English | A strong fire. Example: The fire created a huge blaze. |
boast | verb | Old English | To talk with pride. Example: He boasted about his achievements. |
brass | noun | Old English | A yellow metal. Example: The lamp is made of brass. |
chirp | verb | Old English | A high-pitched sound made by birds. Example: The birds chirped in the morning. |
frown | noun | Old English | A facial expression of displeasure. Example: She had a frown on her face. |
goose | noun | Old English | A large water bird. Example: A flock of geese flew over the lake. |
glove | noun | Middle English | A covering for the hand. Example: She wore warm gloves in winter. |
clever | adjective | Middle English | Intelligent and quick-witted. Example: The clever fox escaped the trap. |
dread | noun | Old English | A feeling of great fear. Example: He felt dread before the exam. |
eager | adjective | Old English | Wanting to do something very much. Example: She was eager to start her new job. |
fancy | adjective | Old English | Decorative or elaborate. Example: They wore fancy clothes to the party. |
fright | noun | Old English | A sudden feeling of fear. Example: The loud noise gave her a fright. |
humble | adjective | Latin | Modest and not boastful. Example: Despite his success, he remained humble. |
noble | adjective | Latin | Having high morals or qualities. Example: He is from a noble family. |
puzzle | noun | Middle English | A problem that requires thinking. Example: The crossword puzzle was difficult. |
seldom | adverb | Old English | Not often. Example: She seldom eats fast food. |
shriek | verb | Old English | To scream loudly. Example: She shrieked when she saw the spider. |
bitter | adjective | Old English | Having a sharp taste or feeling. Example: The coffee was too bitter. |
broken | adjective | Old English | Damaged or not working. Example: The toy was broken. |
burden | noun | Old English | A heavy load or responsibility. Example: He carried the burden of leadership. |
cancel | verb | Latin | To call off an event. Example: They canceled the flight due to bad weather. |
danger | noun | Latin | A situation that is harmful. Example: The storm posed a danger to the town. |
divide | verb | Latin | To separate into parts. Example: Divide the cake into four pieces. |
embrace | verb | Latin | To hug or accept something. Example: She embraced the new challenge. |
feather | noun | Old English | The outer covering of a bird. Example: The peacock has beautiful feathers. |
gather | verb | Old English | To collect things together. Example: They gathered around the fireplace. |
harvest | noun | Old English | The collection of crops. Example: The farmers celebrated a good harvest. |
jealous | adjective | Old French | Feeling envy. Example: He was jealous of his friend’s success. |
lantern | noun | Latin | A light source in a container. Example: They carried lanterns in the dark. |
measure | verb | Latin | To determine the size of something. Example: He measured the length of the table. |
nervous | adjective | Latin | Feeling anxious or worried. Example: She was nervous before the test. |
pattern | noun | Old French | A repeated design or arrangement. Example: The fabric had a floral pattern. |
punish | verb | Latin | To discipline for wrongdoing. Example: The teacher punished the misbehaving student. |
rescue | verb | Latin | To save from danger. Example: The firefighters rescued the cat from the tree. |
shiver | verb | Old English | To shake due to cold or fear. Example: He shivered in the freezing wind. |
thunder | noun | Old English | The sound of lightning. Example: The loud thunder woke them up. |
tremble | verb | Latin | To shake from fear or cold. Example: She trembled with nervousness. |
vanish | verb | Latin | To disappear suddenly. Example: The magician made the rabbit vanish. |
wander | verb | Old English | To walk around without purpose. Example: He wandered through the park. |
weary | adjective | Old English | Feeling very tired. Example: She felt weary after a long day. |
wrinkle | noun | Old English | A line or fold in something. Example: His forehead had wrinkles. |
venture | verb | Latin | To take a risky journey. Example: They ventured into the forest. |
whisper | verb | Old English | To speak very softly. Example: She whispered a secret to her friend. |
warning | noun | Old English | A sign of danger. Example: The road sign was a warning for drivers. |
vanish | verb | Latin | To disappear quickly. Example: The fog vanished by noon. |
Word | Part of Speech | Origin | Definition + Example Sentence |
---|---|---|---|
accomplish | verb | Latin | To achieve or complete something. Example: She accomplished her goal of running a marathon. |
admiration | noun | Latin | A feeling of respect. Example: His bravery earned admiration from his peers. |
adventurous | adjective | Latin | Willing to take risks. Example: He has an adventurous spirit. |
aluminum | noun | Latin | A lightweight metal. Example: Aluminum is used in making airplanes. |
apologize | verb | Greek | To express regret. Example: He apologized for being late. |
democratic | adjective | Greek | Relating to democracy. Example: The country follows a democratic system. |
electricity | noun | Greek | A form of energy. Example: Electricity powers our homes. |
embroidery | noun | French | Decorative needlework. Example: Her dress had beautiful embroidery. |
expenditure | noun | Latin | The action of spending. Example: The company reduced its expenditure. |
personality | noun | Latin | A person's character. Example: She has a cheerful personality. |
philosophy | noun | Greek | The study of wisdom and knowledge. Example: He studied philosophy in college. |
hemisphere | noun | Greek | Half of a sphere. Example: The Earth’s northern hemisphere experiences winter in December. |
fraudulent | adjective | Latin | Deceptive or dishonest. Example: The company was fined for fraudulent activities. |
inevitable | adjective | Latin | Certain to happen. Example: Aging is an inevitable process. |
perseverance | noun | Latin | Continued effort despite difficulty. Example: His perseverance led him to success. |
tranquility | noun | Latin | A state of peace and calm. Example: She enjoyed the tranquility of the countryside. |
unanimous | adjective | Latin | In complete agreement. Example: The decision was unanimous. |
vengeance | noun | Old French | Revenge or punishment. Example: He sought vengeance for the injustice. |
whimsical | adjective | Old English | Playfully unusual. Example: The story had a whimsical tone. |
zealous | adjective | Greek | Passionately devoted. Example: He was zealous in his pursuit of knowledge. |
catastrophe | noun | Greek | A sudden disaster. Example: The earthquake was a catastrophe. |
extravagant | adjective | Latin | Excessive or over-the-top. Example: The wedding was an extravagant event. |
formidable | adjective | Latin | Inspiring fear or respect. Example: The team faced a formidable opponent. |
illuminate | verb | Latin | To light up. Example: The candles illuminated the room. |
innovation | noun | Latin | A new idea or method. Example: The company thrives on innovation. |
judicious | adjective | Latin | Showing good judgment. Example: He made a judicious decision. |
meticulous | adjective | Latin | Extremely careful with details. Example: The artist was meticulous in his work. |
noteworthy | adjective | Old English | Deserving attention. Example: The scientist made a noteworthy discovery. |
optimistic | adjective | Latin | Hopeful about the future. Example: She remained optimistic despite difficulties. |
paradox | noun | Greek | A self-contradictory statement. Example: 'Less is more' is a paradox. |
prosperity | noun | Latin | Wealth and success. Example: The country enjoyed years of prosperity. |
resilient | adjective | Latin | Able to recover quickly. Example: She is resilient in the face of challenges. |
scrutinize | verb | Latin | To examine carefully. Example: The detective scrutinized the evidence. |
turbulence | noun | Latin | Violent movement or disturbance. Example: The flight experienced turbulence. |
unprecedented | adjective | Latin | Never done before. Example: The company had unprecedented growth. |
vulnerable | adjective | Latin | Easily harmed. Example: The animal was vulnerable to predators. |
ambiguous | adjective | Latin | Having multiple meanings. Example: His answer was ambiguous. |
benevolent | adjective | Latin | Kind and generous. Example: The benevolent king helped the poor. |
clandestine | adjective | Latin | Done in secret. Example: The spies had a clandestine meeting. |
decipher | verb | Latin | To interpret or solve. Example: He tried to decipher the old manuscript. |
eclectic | adjective | Greek | Choosing from various sources. Example: Her music taste is eclectic. |
magnanimous | adjective | Latin | Very generous or forgiving. Example: He was magnanimous in victory. |
paradigm | noun | Greek | A typical example or model. Example: The book set a paradigm for future writers. |
poignant | adjective | Latin | Deeply touching. Example: The speech was poignant. |
redundant | adjective | Latin | Unnecessary repetition. Example: His explanation was redundant. |
tenacious | adjective | Latin | Holding on firmly. Example: She had a tenacious grip on her beliefs. |
utopia | noun | Greek | An ideal society. Example: The novel describes a utopia. |
Related Lists:
More grade-level spelling lists:
Downloadable PDF: A printable spelling list for offline practice.
Practice Online: Try the 3rd Grade Spelling Bee Quiz on Spelly.
Daily practice routine: 5 words per day, spelling aloud, writing exercises.
Memory tricks: Mnemonics, rhyming techniques, and visual aids.
Use sentences: Practice words in sentences to remember meanings.
Use Spelly for interactive learning:
Spelling games: Hangman, word search, and spelling bingo.
Flashcards & spelling tests: Traditional methods with modern apps.
Mock spelling bees at home: Simulate the real competition.
Use technology:
Silent letters & homophones: their vs. there, knight vs. night.
Common misspellings in 3rd grade: words that frequently trip up young spellers.
Interactive challenge:
How a spelling bee works: Official rules and what kids should know.
Tips for competition day:
Encouraging confidence:
Printable 3rd Grade Spelling Worksheets for extra practice.
Hard Spelling Bee Words for extra challenge.
Try Spelly’s Free 3rd Grade Spelling Games!
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