Ages 7 to 9 · 109 words
Years 3 and 4 spelling list
The words every child is expected to spell by the end of Year 4. Many 11+ spelling questions use them. Each word has a memory tip, and a link to the spelling rule it follows.
The words, A to Z
Say each one in a 'spelling voice' and read its tip.
A
- accident
Double c, and it ends in -dent, like a dent in a car.
Rule: Words with double letters - accidentally
accident + al + ly: say acci-dent-AL-ly.
Rule: Words with double letters - actual
There's an 'act' at the start: act + u + al.
- actually
actual + ly: keep both l's, one from actual and one from -ly.
Rule: Adding -ly - address
Double d and double s: add a dress!
Rule: Words with double letters - although
al + though: only one l at the start.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - answer
Silent w after the s: ans-wer.
Rule: Silent letters - appear
Double p, then 'ear': app-ear.
Rule: Words with double letters - arrive
Double r, then -ive: ar-rive.
Rule: Words with double letters
B
- believe
Never believe a lie: there's a 'lie' in believe.
Rule: ie or ei? - bicycle
bi (two) + cycle: the y comes after the c.
Rule: Adding prefixes - breath
breath is the noun: take a deep breath. No e on the end.
Rule: Homophones - breathe
breathe is the verb: the e on the end makes the 'ee' sound longer.
Rule: Homophones - build
u then i: you and I build it together.
Rule: Silent letters - business
busy + ness: the y changes to i. Say bus-i-ness.
Rule: Adding endings: drop the e, change the y - busy
It starts like 'bus': a busy bus.
C
- calendar
Ends in -dar, not -der: calen-DAR.
Rule: -ar, -er or -or at the end? - caught
Same 'augh' pattern as taught and daughter.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - centre
British spelling ends in -tre, like theatre and metre.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - century
cent means 100, and a century is 100 years.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - certain
Ends in -tain, like captain and curtain.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - circle
Both soft and hard sounds are spelt with c: cir-cle.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - complete
Ends in -lete, like delete: com-plete.
- consider
Say it in three parts: con-sid-er. Only one d.
- continue
Ends in -ue, like glue and blue.
D
- decide
The soft 's' sound is spelt with c: de-CIDE.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - describe
Starts with de-, not di-: de-scribe.
Rule: Adding prefixes - different
Double f, and say every part: dif-fer-ent.
Rule: Words with double letters - difficult
Double f, then -icult: dif-fi-cult.
Rule: Words with double letters - disappear
dis + appear: one s from dis, two p's from appear.
Rule: Words with double letters
E
- early
Starts with 'ear': ear + ly.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - earth
Starts with 'ear': ear + th.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - eight
'eigh' like weigh and neigh, then t.
Rule: ie or ei? - eighth
eight + h: keep the t, then add h.
Rule: ie or ei? - enough
'ough' says 'uff' here, like rough and tough.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - exercise
No c after the x: ex-er-cise.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - experience
Ends in -ence: ex-pe-ri-ence.
- experiment
Ends in -ment, with an i before it: ex-pe-ri-ment.
- extreme
Ends in -eme, like theme.
F
- famous
fame drops its e: fam + ous.
Rule: Words ending in -ous - favourite
British spelling keeps the u: fav-our-ite.
Rule: British spellings - February
Don't forget the first r: Feb-ru-ary.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear - forward
for + ward: say the r and the w.
- forwards
for + wards: say the r and the w.
- fruit
u then i: fr-u-i-t, like suit.
G
- grammar
Ends in -mar, not -mer: gram-mar.
Rule: -ar, -er or -or at the end? - group
'ou' makes the 'oo' sound, like soup.
- guard
Silent u after the g, like guitar: g-u-ard.
Rule: Silent letters - guide
Silent u after the g, like guitar: g-u-ide.
Rule: Silent letters
H
- heard
You hear with your ear: h + ear + d.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - heart
There's an ear in your heart: h + ear + t.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - height
'eigh' like eight, then t: h-eigh-t.
Rule: ie or ei? - history
his + story without the s: his-tory.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear
I
- imagine
Ends with an e, like engine.
- important
Ends in -ant: im-por-tant.
- increase
in + crease: ends in -ease, like please.
Rule: Adding prefixes - interest
Say all three parts: in-ter-est.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear - island
An island IS LAND: the s is silent.
Rule: Silent letters
K
- knowledge
know + ledge: silent k, and a d before the ge.
Rule: Silent letters
L
- learn
l + earn: you earn good marks when you learn.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - length
long becomes length: g comes before th.
- library
Say both r's: li-brar-y.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear
M
- material
Say all four parts: ma-ter-i-al.
- medicine
medic + ine: a medic gives you medicine.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear - mention
Ends in -tion, like station.
Rule: -tion, -sion, -ssion or -cian? - minute
min + ute: ends like cute.
N
- natural
nature + al: drop the e and add -al.
- naughty
Same 'augh' as caught and taught: n-augh-ty.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - notice
note becomes notice: the 's' sound is spelt with c.
Rule: Soft c and soft g
O
- occasion
Two c's, one s: oc-ca-sion.
Rule: Words with double letters - occasionally
occasion + al + ly: two c's, one s, two l's.
Rule: Words with double letters - often
of + ten: the t is often silent.
Rule: Silent letters - opposite
Two p's, one s: op-po-site.
Rule: Words with double letters - ordinary
Say every part: or-din-ar-y.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear
P
- particular
part + icular: ends in -lar, not -ler.
Rule: -ar, -er or -or at the end? - peculiar
Ends in -liar: pe-cu-liar.
Rule: -ar, -er or -or at the end? - perhaps
per + haps: perhaps it happens.
- popular
Ends in -lar: pop-u-lar.
Rule: -ar, -er or -or at the end? - position
One s, then -tion: po-si-tion.
Rule: -tion, -sion, -ssion or -cian? - possess
Four s's: po-ss-e-ss.
Rule: Words with double letters - possession
Five s's: po-ss-e-ss-ion.
Rule: Words with double letters - possible
Double s, then -ible: pos-si-ble.
Rule: Words with double letters - potatoes
One potato, two potatoes: add -es.
Rule: Making plurals - pressure
press + ure: keep the double s from press.
Rule: Words with double letters - probably
probable becomes probably: say pro-bab-ly.
Rule: -able or -ible? - promise
Ends in -ise: prom-ise.
- purpose
pur + pose: strike a pose on purpose.
Q
- quarter
Say the r: quar-ter. q is always followed by u.
- question
q + u + estion: ques-tion.
Rule: -tion, -sion, -ssion or -cian?
R
- recent
re + cent: the soft c sounds like s.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - regular
Ends in -lar: reg-u-lar.
Rule: -ar, -er or -or at the end? - reign
Silent g, like sign: a queen's reign.
Rule: ie or ei? - remember
Say all three parts: re-mem-ber.
S
- sentence
There's 'ten' in sentence, and it ends in -ence.
Rule: Soft c and soft g - separate
There's 'a rat' in sep-a-rat-e.
Rule: Hidden vowels you can't hear - special
Ends in -cial, like social.
Rule: -cial, -tial, -cious and the 'sh' sound - straight
str + aight: the 'aigh' is like eight with an a.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - strange
st + range: ends like orange.
- strength
strong becomes strength: g comes before th.
- suppose
Double p: sup-pose.
- surprise
Say the first r: sur-prise.
Rule: British spellings
T
- therefore
there + fore: keep the e on there.
- though
'ough' says 'oh' here: th-ough.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - thought
th + ough + t, like bought and fought.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear - through
'ough' says 'oo' here: thr-ough.
Rule: ough, augh, eigh and ear
V
- various
vary becomes various: the y changes to i.
Rule: Words ending in -ous
W
- weight
'eigh' like eight: w-eigh-t.
Rule: ie or ei? - woman
One woman: it ends with 'man'.
Rule: Making plurals - women
More than one: it ends with 'men'.
Rule: Making plurals
Practise these words every day
In the daily spelling workout your child hears each word, spells it, and gets the tricky ones back until they stick. Five minutes a day.