Grade 2 · List 3 of 15 · 37 words

ai and ay words

ai in the middle, ay at the end. A free 2nd grade spelling list: hear each word, print a practice sheet, or take the test.

Take the spelling test Practice spelling in Wordstone

The words

  • rain
  • tail
  • mail
  • day
  • play
  • snail
  • paint
  • train
  • wait
  • chain
  • say
  • stay
  • tray
  • gray
  • away
  • may
  • bay
  • hay
  • lay
  • plains
  • today
  • way
  • nail
  • rail
  • brain
  • grain
  • trail
  • drain
  • main
  • aim
  • bait
  • stain
  • spray
  • clay

Tricky words to learn by heart

These come up alongside this pattern but don't follow it.

  • great
  • break
  • sure

In a sentence

  • rain: The gentle rain made the flowers in the meadow grow.
  • tail: The little dragon wagged its tail with joy.
  • mail: The owl brought a letter in the castle mail.
  • day: Every day, the friendly dragon flies over the green hills.
  • play: Let us play tag with the friendly elves.
  • snail: A tiny snail slid across the magic mushroom.

Mistakes to watch for

For grown-ups helping at home: these are the kinds of slips this pattern tends to bring.

WordOften written as
rainrane, raen
tailtayl, tial
mailmayl, mial
daydai, dae
playplai, pley

Take the ai and ay words spelling test

10 words, read aloud. No sign-up, no timer, and nothing is saved.

FOR GROWN-UPS

Sheets built around your child's tricky words

This free sheet is the same for every child. With Hero Membership, Wordstone prints practice sheets from the sounds and words your child finds hard, and a certificate for each spelling unit they master.

  • Practice sheets from your child's own trickiest sounds
  • A certificate for every unit they master
  • Detailed reports and a weekly email
  • One price for the family, up to 4 children
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A sample practice sheet for a hero named BraveOtter42, with the letters ai and ou blanked out of words and sentences to fill in.
Sample practice sheet
A sample certificate of mastery for BraveOtter42, for the spelling of ai and ay.
Sample certificate
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