Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings

English · Spelling & Word Study · ages 7-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. To find 'beautiful' quickly, which letters should you look for first?

    • be-
    • ti-
    • ul-

  2. A dictionary lists words in what order?

    • By how long they are
    • In a-to-z (alphabetical) order
    • By how often we use them

  3. A dictionary can help you check if a word is spelled correctly.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Zack is writing a report and is not sure how to spell 'science'. What is the best thing to do?

    • Guess and keep writing
    • Look up 'sci-' in a dictionary or glossary
    • Skip the word completely

  5. Mia wrote 'freind' in her story. She looks it up and finds it spelled 'friend'. What should Mia do next?

    • Cross out her spelling and write 'friend'
    • Keep 'freind' since it looks close enough
    • Look up a different word instead

  6. Which pages would you flip to first to find the word 'dog'?

    cdefg
    • The 'do-' pages
    • The 'go-' pages
    • The 'og-' pages

  7. Priya used the word 'freind' three times in her story. She checks it once and learns it is spelled 'friend'. What should she do?

    • Only fix the one she checked
    • Leave them, since she can only fix a word once
    • Fix all three, since the word is always spelled the same way

  8. Liam looked up 'th-' to find his word but only saw 'the' and 'this'. What should he try next?

    • Give up looking
    • Try another spelling that sounds the same, like 'they'
    • Write 'thay' since he already checked once
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Using a Dictionary to Check Spellings W1-mt_6W5zzDIGZH-s1

  1. be- · Beautiful starts with b-e, so you flip to the 'be' pages.
  2. In a-to-z (alphabetical) order · Dictionaries are alphabetical, so words starting with the same letters sit near each other.
  3. True · You compare your spelling to the dictionary entry to catch mistakes.
  4. Look up 'sci-' in a dictionary or glossary · Checking a beginning dictionary or glossary helps Zack write the word correctly.
  5. Cross out her spelling and write 'friend' · The dictionary shows the correct spelling, so Mia should fix her word to match it.
  6. The 'do-' pages · Dog starts with d-o, so the 'do-' pages are the quickest place to start.
  7. Fix all three, since the word is always spelled the same way · A word keeps the same spelling everywhere it appears, so all three need fixing.
  8. Try another spelling that sounds the same, like 'they' · If your first guess is not there, try a spelling that makes the same sound.
Worksheet · LightMySky