Spelling Word Lists (age 7+)

Some English words are tricky to spell, and that is okay! Words get misspelled for simple reasons. Some have silent letters, like the b in climb. You cannot hear it, but it is still there. Some have double letters, like the two l's in balloon. Some sound like other words, like there and their. Here are words people often get wrong: because, friend, said, school, thought, through, weird, tomorrow, beautiful, and separate. Here are ways to help. Say the word out loud, then slowly. Break it into small chunks, like sep-a-rate. Look for a hidden word inside, like a rat in separate. Write the word three times and say each letter as you write. Read it, cover it, write it, then check it. Keep a little list of your own tricky words and practise them for a few minutes each day.

Want to be a super speller? Some words look hard at first, but you can beat them with a plan. Start with words that are a little tricky, not the hardest ones. Words like again, enough, minute, and beginning are great to practise. Then try harder ones like necessary, definitely, and Wednesday. Here is how to win. One, split the word into beats. Nec-es-sary has three beats. Two, find the sneaky part. In necessary there is one collar but two sleeves, so remember one c and two s's. Three, make a silly picture in your head. For island, picture an island with land in the middle to remember the s. Four, write the word, hide it, and write it again to see if it matches. Practise just five words a day. Spell them aloud, write them, and use each one in a sentence.