Spelling Word Lists (age 9+)
Learn spellings from the statutory Years 5 and 6 word list using sound patterns, checked letter groups and memory clues, and check these words in writing
What a learner can do afterwards
- Spell words from the statutory Years 5 and 6 list accurately in dictated sentences, including accommodate, committee, correspond, exaggerate, immediately and necessary
- Use look-cover-write-check and mnemonic strategies to learn words with tricky patterns such as 'separate' (a rat in separate), 'rhythm' (rhythm helps your two hips move)
- Identify and self-correct misspellings of statutory list words when proof-reading extended writing
1 · Read
You have practised learning tricky words from a word list. Sounds can help you read a word, but they may not tell you every letter to write. Check the tricky parts of each spelling. Accommodate has cc and mm. Committee has mm, tt and ee. Exaggerate has gg after exa. Keep both letters in each pair.
A mnemonic is a memory clue. For necessary, picture a shirt with one collar and two sleeves: one c and two s letters. Keep the a after ss too. Rhythm has no a, e, i, o or u; its y stands for a vowel sound. The first letters of Rhythm Helps Your Two Hips Move spell r-h-y-t-h-m.
Separate contains 'a rat': sep-a-rat-e. A memory clue can help you recall that middle a. Practise a checked spelling with four actions: look closely at it, cover it, write it from memory, then check every letter against the original. This look-cover-write-check routine can help with words whose full spelling you cannot hear.
When you proofread, compare uncertain words with your word list or dictionary. Check every letter, including letters you cannot hear. To spell immediately, add ly to immediate and keep the e before ly. Conscience contains sc: con-sc-ience. Correspond has rr: co-rr-espond. Correct the spelling, then read the sentence again.
Use sounds, checked spellings and memory clues together. Remember tricky letter groups, practise from memory, and compare uncertain words with a word list or dictionary.
Two original practice readings written for this dataset. Linked video: "Why is English so confusing? - Arika Okrent", TED-Ed. The video's license has not been verified.
More to read
Give each spelling a useful note
Choose three words from your checked list. Beside each, record the letters you need to remember. Your notes might say 'cc and mm' for accommodate, 'mm, tt, ee' for committee, and 'one c, two s letters' for necessary.
Use the notes while studying the complete spellings. Then cover both the words and the notes. Write each word from memory and compare every letter with your list.
If one part changes in your copy, mark that part for another practice. Hearing the word can help, but a spoken syllable does not tell you how many consonant letters to write.
Check spellings in a finished report
Read your report for meaning, then check uncertain spellings against a word list or dictionary. Compare letters in order instead of judging whether the word looks familiar.
For conscience, check for sc after con. For immediately, keep the e from immediate before ly. For correspond, check rr. Make any needed changes, then reread the sentence.
Keep a note of words you looked up. You can practise recalling those spellings later. Looking up a word checks this piece of writing; covering it and writing it from memory gives you spelling practice.
Explore more
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.