Sort Words by Diphthong Sound
Written by Adi Ackerman, Head Teacher
"Sort Words by Diphthong Sound" is written for 2nd Grade (Ages 7-8), and it covers Common Core RF.2.3.B. If your little one is a year younger but already steady on vowels, the page still works. You may just need to read the instructions out loud. And if they are older and diphthongs never quite stuck, this is a short review rather than busywork.


2nd grade phonics worksheet: sort 12 words like frown, moist and caught by the vowel sound in cow, coin or saw. Answer key included. Part of our diphthongs vowels collection. Aligned to Common Core standards.
How do I use this worksheet?
Say each word and have your child listen for the sliding sound. When two spellings make the same sound, talk about where each one usually sits in a word. Check with the answer key.
What students will practice
- Students will say 12 words and sort them by the vowel sound in cow, coin or saw.
- Students will sort words with different spellings, like frown and pouch or loyal and moist.
- Students will listen for the sound rather than the letters, as in caught and jaw.
Curriculum Links
Common Core State Standards
Reading: Foundational Skills · 2nd Grade
Standard: Know spelling-sound correspondences for additional common vowel teams.
View all RF.2.3.B worksheets →Find this in the curriculum
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FAQ
How do I use this diphthongs worksheet?
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Say each word and have your child listen for the sliding sound. When two spellings make the same sound, talk about where each one usually sits in a word. Check with the answer key.
What does this worksheet teach?
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Sort 12 words like frown, moist and caught by the vowel sound in cow, coin or saw. A diphthong is a vowel sound that slides. Two spellings can make one sound, like ow in now and ou in out. The directions on the page read: Say each word in the Word Bank and listen to its vowel sound. Then, write each word under the sound it makes. Use each word once. An answer key is included.
Can I use this diphthongs worksheet for homeschool or classroom?
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Yes, both. We made it for 2nd Grade vowels, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with diphthongs. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.
What vowel sounds are on these sheets?
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The sliding sounds in out and cow, coin and boy, and the sound in August and saw. The set also covers the two sounds of oo, as in moon and book.
Why does ow have two sounds?
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Ow can say the sound in cow or the long o in snow. The ou or ow sort asks children to circle the ow words that say long o, which helps them try both sounds when reading a new word (RF.2.3.E).
When do you use oi and when oy?
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Oi usually comes in the middle of a word, like coin and soil, and oy at the end, like toy and enjoy. Children trace this rule or read it in a rule box, then use it to finish words like moist and destroy. A few words, like royal and oyster, break it.
Is there an answer key for each worksheet?
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Yes. All 19 diphthong sheets have an answer key.
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