Compound Words
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Skill: Joining and splitting compound words
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About this worksheet
A compound word is made of two smaller words joined together. Sun and flower make sunflower, and rain and bow make rainbow. Knowing the two smaller words often explains what the big word means, so compound words are a helpful clue when children meet a new word. This second-grade worksheet practices compound words in both directions.
In Part A, children join two words to make ten compound words, such as foot + ball = football and tooth + brush = toothbrush. In Part B, they do the opposite: they split six compound words, such as mailbox and playground, into the two words that make them. Splitting words is the skill readers use when they come across a long word in a book.
Every compound word on the sheet is a common, everyday word, so children can focus on the pattern instead of hard spelling. The words are written as one word, with no space or hyphen.
How to use it: read each pair out loud and ask, "What do these two words make together?" Talk about meaning: a goldfish is a fish that is gold, and a bedroom is a room with a bed. For Part B, have your child draw a line between the two smaller words before writing them. As an extra challenge, ask your child to make up a silly compound word and draw a picture of it.
The answer key lists every compound word and every pair of smaller words. This worksheet supports Common Core standard L.2.4.d (use knowledge of the meaning of individual words to predict the meaning of compound words). Pair it with our Contractions worksheet for more word work.