The uniaxial tensile mechanical properties of pristine and defective hexagonal boron nitride (BN) and silicon carbide (SiC) sheets are investigated through a molecular dynamics finite element method with Tersoff and Tersoff-like potentials. 2-Atom vacancy and 2 types of Stone–Wales defects are considered. It is found that uniaxial tensile stress–strain curves of defective and pristine sheets are almost identical up to fracture points. A centered single defect reduces significantly fracture stress and fracture strain from those of the corresponding pristine sheet. In contrast, Young׳s modulus is nearly unchanged by a single defect. One 2-atom vacancy in the sheet׳s center reduces 15–18% and 16–25% in fracture stress, and 32–34% and 32–48% in fracture strain of BN and SiC sheets, respectively. Reduction in fracture properties depends on the tensile direction as well as the orientation of Stone–Wales defects.