Spelling and vocabulary · 4 guides
Spelling and vocabulary study guides
Four guides to the word skills the 11+ tests again and again: spelling rules, homophones, prefixes and suffixes, and working out what words mean.
What to expect in the 11+
Many 11+ English papers have a spelling section: a line of text is split into parts and you find the part with a mistake (or say there isn't one). Homophones such as there, their and they're are some of the most common mistakes.
Vocabulary is tested everywhere: in comprehension ('what does this word mean?'), in cloze passages where you choose the best word, and in verbal reasoning synonyms and antonyms.
The good news is that English spelling follows rules more often than you might think, and knowing prefixes, suffixes and root words helps you work out words you have never seen before.
The guides
- Guide 1
Spelling rules
The 11+ spelling rules children need: plurals, dropping the e, doubling letters, y to i and i before e, plus how to spot mistakes in spelling tests.
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- Guide 2
Homophones
Homophones explained for 11+ children: there, their and they're, to, too and two, its and it's, practice and practise, with tricks to tell them apart.
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- Guide 3
Prefixes and suffixes
Common prefixes and suffixes for the 11+: making opposites with un, dis, im, il and ir, changing word class, and working out new words from their parts.
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- Guide 4
Word meanings and words in context
Work out what words mean in 11+ English: context clues, words with two meanings, shades of meaning and root words, with worked examples.
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Tips for spelling and vocabulary
- Learn one spelling rule at a time and collect five words that follow it.
- Keep a list of the words you get wrong and test yourself on them each week.
- Read every day: the more words you see, the more you can spell and understand.
- When you meet a new word, look for a prefix, a root and a suffix you know.
- Say tricky words in a 'spelling voice' (Wed-nes-day, Feb-ru-ary) to remember silent letters.
- In a spelling test, look at each word carefully: don't read what you expect to see.